Playing With ATC's

Doesn't this little guy look like an undertaker! ... I thought he would be perfect for a little Halloween ATC ...or I guess it could just be a spooky steampunk ATC... either way at the heart of this little undertaker is the cross :)) He is on my new "Graveyard Party" collage sheet available in my little etsy store
 

 I don't usually do religious art but I must have been in a "high spirited" mood today :)) This is for a door swap I am in and it just went in the mail so I hope the recipient isn't lookin :D

 

I just loved the little image I used 

Queen of Diamonds... Gothic Arches Crown

I know this is a lousy picture! I know it is summer but here in Idaho it is raining! ... I know .... raining!

So the lighting is not good and when I tried to use a flash the "diamonds" reflected it too much... it had to have natural lighting. That meant outside : / so I put the umbrella up on my patio table and this is as good as I could get. I actually made this for a friend. I tease her all the time calling her "The Queen Of Diamonds". The bottom piece is actually a huge pin I want to give her. I punched holes for the pin to go through to the back side but it is removable.

Gothic Arches .... Crown challenge

Remembering The Butterflies

 

When I was a child there were no video games. We had to actually do things to keep ourselves entertained ... lol. I grew up in Cambria California... we lived in the woods in a log cabin but we were also just a mile from the beach so there really was a lot to do. When we were not at the beach we were running through the walking paths in the woods. One of my most favorite memories is when the butterfly's would migrate and the woods would be filled with them. It is one of my most precious memories that I will always treasure!

Mixed Media Monday....memories

The Witching Hour Comes

The week the theme over at Gothic Arches is Owls. I am not too much on owls but I have been playing around with Halloween stuff lately.

I used a trick or treat sucker card for my background and then my witching hour owl clock. I put real watch hands that had been salvaged off an old watch that I had taken apart for the gears. The little witch is from a new sheet of dark fairies that I have in my little etsy store.

Past Loves for Mixed Media Monday

I missed last week at Mixed Media Monday but I am trying to get back on track

My past love is Asian Art... I find it so elegant and peaceful. When I need to recharge I always turn to it. This is a tiny canvas.... just 2 x 2 I added texture using spackle mixed with latex paint.

Gothic Arches Marie Antoinette

I was happy to see that Gothic Arches was posting challenges again! This week it is Marie Antoinette .. one of my favorite subjects!
 

Yes ladies... Pears Soap will keep your skin supple and as beautiful as the finest ivory! You will look just like the queen of luxuries herself... Marie Antoinette! :))

Counting My Blessings

Today was our local meeting of the Artistic Souls and I feel so truly blessed to be a part of this wonderful group. It was such a lovely relaxed day of visiting with good friends. We had the most delicious lunch in the beautiful garden of our lovely hostess this month. That was followed by several hours of creative fun. If you have read any of my previous posts then you know we have an ongoing challenge. We all bring a stamp, each taking a turn with each others stamp until each person has had a chance to create swap cards with each stamp. Recently we decided to do ATC's instead of cards and I am just thrilled with this change as I have a chance to grow my little ATC collection.

It was my turn with Carolyn's purse stamp from PSX. I decided to make it look like a Victorian mail order sample card. I used graphic's from the old Strawbridge department store. I printed the background then stamped the little purse on it. Then I added a little swatch of tapestry. I felt it needed a little envelope so I continued the theme using more Strawbridge graphics and adding a little more stamping. The remaining stamps are from Scroll Works

Play Things ...

  

This week at Mixed Media Monday the theme is Play Things. Having grown up on the central coast of California, I spent hours and hours on the beach playing with sea shells and beautifully polished stones. In fact the first craft I remember doing was making pebble people for every visitor that came. Our family was large and living in a resort area they took turns visiting often. Needless to say I made lots of pebble people. Our house was always full of people, laughter and love. All the stamps are from Scroll Works ... my favorite company :))

Wedded Bliss for Something Blue

This is the last week of the wedding theme sayings over at Mixed Media Monday and since I have done nothing with a wedding theme I did this little wedding card. I also did this one because I wanted to share a technique I have been playing with. Crackle paint can be so expensive but this is a Fun inexpensive alternative to crackle paint and glaze.

This easy technique is done with cheap Elmer's school glue ...really any cheap white glue works, I even tried the stuff from the dollar store. I discovered glue crackle on the internet but found the explanations very limited. I not only wanted to crackle paint for backgrounds but I also wanted to crackle clear glaze to use on my images. As hard as I searched I found nothing on crackling clear glaze.... sooo I did a lot of experimenting with different glues and glazes and found that the cheep white school glue works best for this technique. There is no difference if you use the clear or white. Most any water based glue will work however Mod Podge doesn’t work at all

To crackle paint:
Step1.
Using acrylic paint, choose the color you would like your cracks to be and paint the surface of your project. Let it dry completely. This works on wood metal paper and even cloth. If your doing this on paper you can just use unpainted card stock in the color of choice so just skip this first step.

Step 2.
Cover the painted surface with glue. The thickness of the glue will determine the size of your cracks. A thin glue layer will result in a fine crack, the thicker the glue the larger and wider the crack. For a very fine crack it is best to thin the glue a bit. I found using my hands worked better than a brush for spreading on the glue. You have to work fast... I got a more even coverage and I was able to control the thickness of the glue much easier. It also eliminated brush marks.

Step 3.
Do not let the glue dry completely. It must still be tacky if you want it to crack. For thin glue let it dry about 3 minutes and for the thicker glue about 5 to 8 minutes. Once tacky cover the surface with Acrylic paint. Again I found using my hands worked best. The cracking starts pretty quickly and it is really fun to watch.

For a clear crackle over an image
Step1.
It is done much the same, cover the printed surface with glue. I used a lazer print. I think the ink would run with an ink jet image. Again, the thickness of the glue will determine the size of your cracks. A thin glue layer will result in a fine crack, the thicker the glue the larger and wider the crack.

Step 2
Once the glue is tacky, paint on a clear water base varnish. I used the Delta Ceramcoat satin interior varnish. I also tried several others and they all worked well.

I enhanced the cracks for my example because they did not show up great in a photo. However on a small image with a face your cracks may not look so great enhanced. I had to do the image above several times before I had an image where the bride did not look like she was crying ...lol. In real life the cracks are really visible without any enhancement.

Something Borrowed

The theme this week over at Mixed Media Monday is something borrowed so I am posting a borrowed piece of Art. This little doll is called "Here's my heart" and it was created by one of my students. She has it listed in her Etsy shop. Since she has so many grandchildren she worried that they might damage her so she asked if she could leave it in my studio until it sells... As much as I hope she sells to encourage my student and friend..I have to say I will be sick when she does as I have come to love her so much... I just might buy her myself if she doesn't sell soon :)

 

Here is my heart

Mixed Media Monday New Old Bottle Labels Perfume & Pharmacy

I know these look old but they really are some new labels I made. I did use the information from an actual French pharmacy label to create the pharmacy label and wording from a vintage French perfume label for the perfume label. I added some soldered elements to the perfume bottle but if you don't solder try tying some ribbon or vintage lace on your bottle. I thought it would be a fun project for Mixed Media Monday this week.

The bottle labels are available at my little etsy store!

Mixed Media Monday's Vintage Ads/Labels Challange

I have been doing a little soldering and I made this one for Mixed Media Monday. I finished it with a little lady bug and leaf bead and it is the same on both sides. The theme this week is Vintage Ads/Labels so I used the Hoyt's German Cologne trade card.

Steampunk Gothic Arch Necklace

 

This is for the open theme at Gothic Arches again I am a little slow this week. I am still having trouble with my teeth... it has been an ordeal because I have TMJ from a car accident so badly that is slows the amount of time the dentist can work in my mouth.... anyway enough excuses :)) This was hard for me because I have always been such a neat and clean solderer. For this I needed to muddy that up :)) I also aged it by adding a layer of mica for the top layer instead of glass. The back is glass and it has a layer of antique newspaper. I suppose it could be worn backwards but the rhinestone would be upside down. The little side oval pieces have antique tatted lace between glass. I used the free printable that I offered a while back so if you scroll down to past posts you can grab it.

Just a bit squirrely ...

I made these little fabric flowers some time back but since I was feeling a little under the weather I thought I would take a new picture and use them for this weeks Mixed Media Monday. The theme is floral tributes so I decided to make mine "Ode To The Squirrel"

Ode To The Squirrel
Small fluffy one who scampers in the sun to frolic in the open breeze,
In the fields of flower blooms or high up in the old oak trees.
In this lovely, flowery place of acorns, nuts you scamper.
Or would you rather stop for tea, a posy a hat won't hamper.

Ok it is a bit corny ... can you tell I am board?

If you check the quick links on the sidebar there is a tutorial for making these fun little flowers.

Once upon a time .... Wedded Bliss

 

 In the land of Gothic Arches there lived a little fairy princess. She longed to one day wed but in the land of her birth there were only girl fairies. One day her fairy god mother stopped by and saw that the little fairy princess was so sad. "Let us go on a glorious vacation" she said. "This will cheer you up" So with a flick of her magic wand they were off, whirling across the sky. Looking down fairy godmother saw a beautiful green island and knew instantly this was where they were to vacation. They landed in a beautiful circle of trees and it looked as though it had been made just for them.... hmmm... I wonder..... anyway as the day wore on they became sleepy and fell into a deep sleep. Suddenly they were awaken to the sound of a beautiful harp and and yes ...it was a male voice singing softly in a deep Irish brogue. The little fairy princess could not believe her eyes! There before her was the most hunky guy and he had wings!!! "Are you a boy fairy?" she asked "Certainly not" he replied... I am a he ... which could loosely be described as a ...er...a boy fairy...but in the most masculine of ways" . The little fairy princess fell into giggles and into love. Long story short they were soon married and lived happily ever after.

Our Reigning Family King

I just had to share this darling picture of my grandson. Taken at Norwich castle on a recent trip my son and his family made to England. This goes to prove that my little grand baby is the King!! .. in our family anyway :))

   

They have really taken some awesome pictures of medieval doors and gothic windows. I am going to share some for background images soon.

Eyes Wide Open...

 

 This week the theme at Gothic Arches is Openings. I think this theme could go in so many directions and I can't wait to blog surf the list and see what everyone has come up with. For mine, I think my title says it all ... I started with the large face stamp from Scroll Works but I only stamped the eyes. Then I chalked the skin tone and added feathers at the top. A piece of a broken necklace made the headdress and a heart shaped gold paper doily for the collar. Some ribbon and beaded trim finished it off.

These are a few of my favorite things »-(¯`v´¯)-»

This week over at Mixed Media Monday the theme is Personal Symbols and Myths. Wow does that leave it wide open. Your suppose use a theme or symbol that you use a lot in your art. It did not take me long to figure out what symbols and them was. First of all I use a swirl stamp from Scroll Works on just about everything... you can see it in the background and then I love fairies so they are in about 80% of everything I do :))

anyway here is my entry

Marie At the Theater

 

This week at Mixed Monday Monday the challenge is Marie Antoinette... I love Marie Antoinette. Another thing I love is that to play over at Mixed Monday Monday you can do a card or you can do an assemblage or maybe a fabric collage or... or... a... THEATER :)) and you all know how I love theaters. So this week I did Marie and her court at the theater. I really only did the little puppets for it because I already had the little theater done but I mounted them on some chip board and then glitzed them up with some glitters, feathers and some tiny rhinestones.

Home Sweet Home Gothic Arch Free Printable

I did this for this weeks Gothic Arches Challenge I just love the shape of a gothic arch and a long time back I use to participate in there challenge. Then they went to there own website and my Google reader would not pick it up. I had a hard time following so I kinda fell away...but they are back on a blog and I was thrilled to find them again. I have decided to limit myself to two challenges so that I don't get overwhelmed trying to keep up ...lol Anyway I am going to be keeping it to Mixed Media Monday and Gothic Arches. So this is a week of new/old beginnings for me :))

   Oh yes .... here is the image I used

Feel free to pin the thumb above but please do not pin the actual download. I would like everyone to stop by here to download it so they don't miss all my other fun free downloads

Download Family Tea Here