Penguin Love Balancing Act.............Midweek Papercraft Party

Okay so it's nearly November just a day to go so I don't feel so guilty in saying the "C" word...............Christmas yay it's nearly here.  I love this time of year (apart from the cold weather and dark nights).  I love all the lights that go up around the cities and towns to make the market areas look festive and bright.  The walk around the Christmas market in Manchester and locally perusing the handmade gifts that are on sale -maybe partaking of some mulled wine or a glass of warm fruit cider.  Have I got you looking forward to Christmas yet?  

If the above hasn't then maybe my little penguin friend here delivering some presents will.

The image is from Handmade Harbour and is a new Digi Stamp #231 Penguin with Presents isn't he cute?  I've also used the #226 Christmas tags and Sentiments and the parcels on the bottom of the card are from #189 Birds and Gifts set of 10 images.  I think he can be used for a number of occasions not just Christmas.

Handmade Harbour 

Take Flight..........and Let The Adventure Begin

How would you like to be part of a creative adventure and make a difference in the lives of children in Haiti?  Well now you can and all you have to do is make a feather and send it of the Yanik over in Quebec Canada. You can read all about the artist collaboration over on Yanik's blog Avoxtar.  You'll have to be quick though if you're in the UK or Europe as there are only 33 days until the exhibition.  I'll be sending mine today so hopefully it will get there in plenty time (post usually takes approx 2 weeks).

For my feather I used some cardboard and painted it with gesso.  I used a butterfly stencil, rubber stamped words and some glitter.  I used acrylic paint as the main colouring medium.  It measures approx 23cm in length and 6cm at the widest point.  It fits at an angle in a a long DL envelope.  I can't wait to see everyone's feathers.  

Here is my feather - Butterfly Explore Life's Journey

I'm also sharing this as part of Handmade Monday over on Handmade Harbour and Creative Monday 

Pumpkins and Pumpkins

Mention pumpkins and you conjure up an image of carved out evil looking faces with candles burning inside them.  Well mine is a pumpkin but no candles inside and not carved either.  This is done to ATC size (2.5 x 3.5 inches - ATC = artist trading cards). Firstly I sketched out a rough design then I transfered it onto some calico and painted it with Derwent inktense water colour pencils. For the outline I used a grey/black embroidery thread - 2 strands and back-stitched it all around the pencil lines.  For the eyes I've used yellow sequins and beads down the front.  The edges are bound using button-hole/blanket stitch.

Fabric ATC

This one is the original sketch which I have cleaned up and painted with Polychromo pencils.

Original Sketch

Now head on over to Handmade Monday over at the Handmade Harbour blog and see what the other clever artists have been making.

Midweek Paper Party Something Pretty

I can't believe we're already into week 9 of the Paper Party over at Handmade Harbour.  This weeks theme is 'Something Pretty'.  I bought a couple of Daler Rowney sketch books from an art store across from where I work but they have boring black covers on them.  One I've already used to sketch in but the bigger one I want to make into a journal.  Now I have no idea how to journal but at least I can make a start with the cover by making it look pretty and inviting.  To make the front of the journal I've used the #45 butterflies and hearts and #195 flowers in a frame digi stamps.  These are 3 of my favourite things hearts, butterflies and flowers you just can't go wrong with them.  

I've printed the flower image twice and with one of them I've cut away the background and added some textured painted paper.  The flowers are cut out and mounted with foam pads to give some dimension -these were placed just off center onto the printed flowers. The center of the flowers I've added some micro beads to add texture.  The butterflies are cut and mounted onto wire to give them a floaty/flying feeling.  I've used my trusted Inktense water colour pencils to colour them in with.  You can't see it on the photograph but the hearts on the butterflies are highlighted with dimensional magic to give them a raised look.  

So here it is I hope you like what I've made and feel inspired to make your own creations with these lovely and versatile digi stamps from Handmade Harbour. 

I've seen what the other artists have made and I think you won't be disappointed - so I would urge you to pop over to Handmade Harbour for a nosey.

Have fun being creative.

Anita

Shared on the following challenges - 

Crafting By Design 

Paper Pretties

4 Crafty Chicks

Stencils and Texture Paste

A couple of weeks ago I went to the Happy Stampers Festival at PortSunlight - this is a papercrafts/stampers trade/retail show where quite a lot of the well known rubber stamp companies come to sell their products.

One of the things I like about the show is the variety of rubber stamps on offer.  However, it seems the stencil is what everyone is into instead of rubber stamps.  There seemed to be stencils on every stall I visited.  Now I've been using stencils in my work for a number of years now so maybe I've been 'on trend' without realising it.  

As most people know I have an affection for butterflies (and elephants) so I bought myself a couple of stencils in different style.  Today I had a play with one of the stencils a pretty butterfly in 2 different sizes.  The one I used fits neatly on an ATC size card (2.5inch x 3.5inch). For my canvas I've used a medium weight calico for 2 of the butterflies and an ATC size board for the other.  The orange/red butterfly is watered down acrylic paint, I then used some light molding paste from Golden (I didn't have any grunge paste) I got the same effect as the grunge paste.   The black and gold butterfly is on card board - ATC size I used the molding paste on this one to - for some reason the paste isn't as smooth as the one on the fabric but I like the difference between the two.

I'm going to try and embroider the butterflies when I have a free moment.  I think they will look pretty cool.

I'm linking this to the Handmade Monday thread over on Handmade Harbour 

Pop over and see what everyone else has been up to this week.

3 Eyed Green Monster

Since the 29 Faces Challenge finished I've had a bit of a withdrawal week or 2.  However I've joined in with a daily drawing thread over on ATCsForAll and this weeks challenge is to draw Halloween monsters or Autumn scenery.  The challenge starts on a Thursday so we have the weekend to draw something.  There are no prizes and you don't have to draw everyday.  It's a group of people who want to practice their drawing skills, get feedback and generally get support and encouragement and most importantly have FUN.

For my card I drew (or attempted to) a monster but I think it's more of a cute monster than a scary monster.  Its painted with Polychromo pencils with a hint of white acrylic paint.  The background was coloured using Pro-markers.

Here's my monster with her 3 Eyes.

Have a great weekend

Anita

Diwali Cards

Before I can even think of designing/making Christmas cards I have to make Diwali cards to send to friends and family.  In the Gujarat, the festival honours Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth - new businesses are also started at this auspicious time.  Diya's or lamps are lit in every household so that the Goddess Lakshmi will find her way to each house to give her blessings.  Another reason to celebrate is the return of Lord Ram and his wife Sita from an exile of 14 years.  You can read more about Diwali here.  

These are my cards for 2013.  I drew the initial design and then coloured it in with Aquarelle Faber Castell water colour pencils.  Then manipulated them with a software program to create different effects.

This is the original design

These are the 2 images I created with the software

I'm showing these off for Handmade Monday over on the Handmade Harbour blog.  Why not pop over and see what the other crafters have been up to.

Till next time keep crafting.

Anita

Trick Or Treat

It's October and everyone I know is getting ready for Halloween.  There's parties and office events being planned.  It seems that Halloween is getting to be a popular event here in the UK.  Not so many years ago you would get a few neighbours coming around trick or treating with the youngsters.  But now it looks like the adults are having just as much fun as the kids.  I'll be making cupcakes with a Halloween theme not sure on flavours yet but I'm sure I will come up with something gruesome.

My card today represents 'owls' first Halloween.  I'm not sure he's up to it though.  I think he has fallen a sleep before the festivities have started.  I printed and coloured in the images with water colours then photographed and edited it to add a spider and a black cat and added a border -oh and a dash of glitter.............well you can't not have glitter now can you?

If you'd like to make your own Halloween card why not pop over to Handmade Harbour and see what other Halloween images Wendy has created.