The Winner is..................................

Ann Pennington - Congratulations Ann I hope you like the earrings.  

Thank you to everyone who entered.

I'm Giving Away ................

A gorgeous pair of Swarovski pearl and crystal earrings (sterling silver earwires).  Why?  Well #1 it's my birthday this months and also #2 it's Mother's Day March 30 here in the UK.

It's open to everyone - To enter the giveaway please leave a comment underneath this post or if you are on facebook you can leave a comment on my facebook page - Itsamistry Design Studio.  

I will announce the winner Monday 17th March. Winner will have 48 hours to claim the prize after which I will re-draw another winner.

Good Luck 

Anita

Linked to  -

Creative Mondays

Handmade Monday - Handmade Harbour

Day 3 of 29 Faces Challenge

Day 3 of the 29 Faces Challenge and today we have an abstract style face. I thought I'd try a different approach to the challenge as I'm sure everyone is tired, bored or both by now of the whimsy style of my work plus it's good to get out of your comfort zone every now and again.  So here it is painted with acrylic paint on watercolour paper, outlines in black pitt pen................I've just realised I've not added any white highlights to the eyes.....oooppps. 

You can see other artists work over at the 29 Faces Challenge blog.

Day 2 of 29 Faces Challenge

Here's face #2.  An ATC (artist trading card) - I've used polychromo coloured pencils, pitt black pen and white posca pen.  Pop on over the the official blog for 29 Faces and check out the other artists faces.

Home Is Where The heART Is.

Home is where the heART is.  I'm one of the participants in a travelling journal which will take 12 months to complete - this is the 1st journal which has traveled from the USA.  It's quite a big page slightly bigger than A4 so it was a bit daunting to be faced with a blank page that size.  However once I had an idea of what I wanted to do it developed quite easily.  My favourite are the tubes of paint with the rubber stamped flowers which look like they are growing out of the tubes.  This has given me an idea for some skinny pages I need to make for a swap.  

Sharing this post on Handmade Harbour for Handmade Monday

29 Faces Art Challenge Day 1

So I made it home in time for the new 29 Faces art challenge for February 2014 (I was one of hundreds of people who's flights were delayed in Atlanta GA due to the snow fall).  

So here is day 1 - I actually started this at the airport with my limited supply of pencils and pens.  I finished if off at home with the rubber stamping.

Go check out the other artists over on the 29 Faces blog.

Till tomorrow 

Anita

I'm Home!!!!

Hello Lovelies I'm back from the USA.  I can't believe how quickly the 8 days went.  I had so much fun out there visiting with my friends in Newport Beach CA first and then onto Arizona for the Artzona weekend which consisted of a total of 40 artists..........heaven.  I'm not impressed with our weather in the UK the cold and wet damp weather isn't for me.  BUT here I am until my next trip which may be not too far away - fingers crossed for August in Rochester NY with another group of artists.

So I'm keeping this post short and sweet to get me back into blogging again - I seem to lose the edge when I've been away for a while.

Here are a few pics from my travels - enjoy.

All artists together

Our dedicated art room

That's all for now I'll post more later on - I only took just over 200 pics!!

Anita

Catching Up ......

Being ill is not fun especially if you've been bedridden for 2 whole days and not being able to think about or do any art.  I didn't even have the energy to pick up a book to read.  Thankfully I'm over the worst and getting back into creating art and catching up on my challenges.  I was hoping to have had a head start with the artwork as I'm heading over to the USA in 10 days...........yikes 10 days and I've not even gathered all my things that I need to take out there.  I do have a list.......its a very looonnngg list.

Anyway here are some of the pieces I've worked on in the last couple of days.  Luckily they can be crossed over onto each challenge.  

Small canvas I need more practice on textured backgrounds.

Journal page using 3 stencils - prompt at Wonderstrange for the 50 Canvases challenge set up by the lovely Sarah (aka themuppet).  

They made me join in hahahaha.

Journal page using the prompt Up Up and Away - this is a facebook group and the challenge is to create 52 journal pages - journal52 it's a closed group but the link is for the blog page.

I found these artist trading cards while I was looking for something else and thought they would be a great addition to my signature cards for taking to Arizona - a time saver considering I've only got 10 day before I fly out.

A couple of backgrounds with lots of texture and design - not sure what I'll be doing with these yet.  I have an idea for the first one but will see how it develops.

Lastly this is a wedding album I'm making for a very special couple and I'll be hand delivering it (providing I get it finished on time).  

The cover is Nottingham lace over shantung silk.  I'll post pics of the finished album after it's finished and delivered.

Phew so that's me all caught up......I think.

I'm linking up with the following blogs and challenges.

Journal52

Creative Everyday 

30 Paintings in 30 Days

Creative Mondays

Handmade Monday at Handmade Harbour

50 Canvases at Wonderstrange

Gritty Janes 40 Portraits (facebook open group)

Dance Like No-one Is Watching ...Handmade Harbour Mid-week Papercraft Party

I am sat here sniffling and coughing while I write this blog so I hope you'll excuse me if I keep this short and sweet this week.  I've noticed recently that there are so many people who create daily, weekly journals - it seems to be very popular.  I have signed up for a 52 challenge on facebook where you create a journal page every week.  There is a weekly prompt from the group admin that everyone is going to use to make their journal page - you can join in here - journal52.

So as there is such an interest in journal pages I thought I would use one of Wendy's designs to make a page for my journal and show you that you are not limited to using the designs just for card making.  

The theme for this week was pink or blue and as you can see I opted for blue.  The image I've used is the Happy Dance Girl #264.  I printed her onto some cartridge paper and used acrylic, watercolour paints and polychromo pencils for colouring in the image and the background.  I've added some glitter to her hair and dress and a little around the frame and flower.  The words were rubber stamped on using archival black ink.  

Please pop over to the Handmade Harbour Midweek Papercraft Party for more inspiration.

Unfinished...................Day 6 of 30 Paintings

I'm not sure this is quite finished yet.  I feel there is something else I could add to complete it.  I'm not quite sure what maybe some texture with embossing powders or texture paste.  I'm going to put her up on the wall and see what inspiration comes to mind.

What do you think?  All suggestions welcome.

Slices of Life - 30 paintings in 30 days