past pleasures

Just a quick post as I haven't been in much this week, but I have seen this posted on a few friends blogs and thought it a lovely way to end my crafting year.

The Stamp Man team are asking us to share our favourite crafting creations of 2011 (doesn't have to be a stamping project...rules here)

I thought it would take me ages to trawl through my old posts and choose a piece I was particularly proud of, but it didn't....I went almost straight away to this page in my altered book(original post).

I painted it the week after the beautiful Katie Renz passed away after a long and public battle with cancer. I didn't mention this in my original post as I thought it might be upsetting for others who knew her. She was definitely on my mind as this portrait formed..and Katie is what I called her as I was painting. I only knew Katie via her blog, but knew her to be a wonderful caring person who will be much missed by those who were touched by her plight.

Thank you for the opportunity to share this piece again :D

Bless you all, and wishing only happiness in your lives for 2012

Girl in a golden crown...a la Amy

I have been working on an altered board book, to use as a base for painting on using Amy's "painting on collage" method. I usually draw my own face template, but this time I decided to try the "tear a face out of a magazine" technique :D
Following Amy's instruction video(FREE CLASS, portrait with groovey crown), I painted a layer of brown paint over the image...
then started adding layers of white paint with a dry brush.
I used a pencil to pick out the features again, and started blocking out the background.
More layers, and some black on the background to throw the face forward.
More layers of skin tone(not as white as it looks ) using wetter brush...
and more definition on eyes and lips....
And add her crown.

All in all a very satisfying effect, with no portrait drawing skills required :D
I will probably distress the background a little to reveal some of the patterned papers, when the whole thing is properly dried.

Enjoy :D XXX

In the new year I resolve...

This week the theme at The Butterfly Effect is Resolutions.......

I only usually make 1 resolution, the same every year...to love my hubby more this year than last year. A resolution we have shared since the year we met...everybody say aaaaaawwww! :D

But this year I need to get more focussed. I need to calm my mind and learn to relax more. I need to spend more time in prayer and meditation, so that I can focus my energy on the important things.

So these are the things I am resolved to do in the new year...and ever onwards.

I have used the board book Amy showed us at a live class(video here) as the base for this piece.

I drew a face tilted down as if in prayer over a paper collage base...

then used a dry brush to add layers of white and blue acrylic paint
Next i "scruffed up" the double spread with blue and yellow
before adding a skin tone with wetter paint.
I wanted the bee visible again, to represent my busy mind, so I gently scratched away the painted layers with an emery board
and highlighted the features with blue pencil.
I have been enjoying using coloured pencils of various types, and used Inktense and Soft Colour to add some words to the page.
All together a feel a calm peaceful creation :D XXX

An Angel Appears!!!

Last week I shared a page in my Altered Book of Stuff that had an angel on it......

This is how my angel "appeared" to me.

I had roughed up the page with acrylic paints to match it up with the tipped in page of my dog sitting by the front door....
As I looked at the drying page I started to see the shape of an angel
It was such a subtle image that I decided to use grey and white chalk pastels to highlight it...
His wings looked like feathers....
and his arms were outstretched.
I built up the layers, slowly and loosely....
until the form was fully visible.
I blew off the loose dust and sprayed it with artist fixative....
I love the weathered look to the finished piece....My Guardian Angel :D XXX

Hoping you all had a lovely Christmas day :D

Well Christmas eve was just exhausting for our baby niece....she only made it til 1 pm before needing a nap haha!When every one was in bed, hubby let me open a pressie he had "made" for me....yes, he bought all the fiddly bits and made me this sparkly butterfly ring!!

Long story short...when he proposed he bought a plastic butterfly ring from a little shop, he thought we'd been together so long I deserved a new one :D...not at all practical but so precious :D
Christmas day lunch.... all my men together :D
They don't like chrissy pud...so I made individual Black-forest Gateauxish trifles,

Chocolate swiss roll(homemade blackberry brandy for adults), black cherries in sauce, chocolate custard(made with real chocolate), topped with fresh whipped cream and grated chocolate....
nom, nom, nommy :D
Then time to burn off a few calories with Kinnect Sports. I did play, but guys take this kind of stuff way more seriously...
especially knackered old footballer hubbies....
Chunky needed refuelling......
not that Shorty is competative, but the shame of being beaten by Chunky Monkey....
Ooops...hahahahahaha.....nearly piddled myself!! Apparently , me and Chunky are very bad winners :D

Just noticed we were all dressed in black...nothing morbid, we just wear a lot of black :D

Hope your day was as much fun as ours, Blessings to you all for 2012 :D

It's Friday morning and I'm soooo organised!

So much to share this week...but mostly because I'm feeling totally in control of our festivities this year :) I know it's tempting fate, but things seem to be going so well I have time to do this post :D

Can't have Christmas without Angels, so here is the finished doudle spread from my Altered Book. I had made the tied in page with my dog at the door, and wanted to put an accordian/concertina book on the opposite page. While prepping, this angel just appeared (will show the evolution at a later date).

The title for the spread is Guardian of the Door....I was refering to my dog, but this Angel wanted in on the act :D
and I just had to do something a little different with the fold out sections :D

Another project I have yet to share is the Altered Board Book I started making after one of Amy's classes. We never got finished because of technical difficulties, but Amy is redoing the class today at 6pm GMT on livestream....feel free to join in if you wish http://www.livestream.com/amymcdonald?t=143152

I got this old children's book from a charity shop for 50p, and covered it with scraps of paper
So I am looking forward to finding out what happens next :D

Have you had a Rocking week with your build up to Christmas?...if so why not share it with us over at Virginia's Blog

Oh, and if you have been enjoying the paper dolls theme at The Butterfly effect this week, check out Plush Possum Studio today, They have given us the most stunning Christmas paper dolls EVER

A Grand Voyage...

Well it's time to prep a book ready for Darcy's Postcards around the world challenge starting in January, was going to alter a book then spotted this in The Works...

Perfect!
butcher and remove all but 26 pages, and replace paper front piece with board, job done :D
Now to decorate.

I have this old(1968) A3 Reader's Digest atlas.

I thought "rip out maps for backing papers, and you've got an A3 book cover to alter :D"

ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!!!!

I'd rather cut my own hand off!!!! This book is definitely listed under Treasure....so I took some photo's of this page showing trade/exploration routes and printed them off instead :D
Painted board covers with acrylic and clear gesso, glued on printed maps(after scrunching and sanding and inking)

Dry brushed white acrylic around edges and stamped with black stazon
Added colour with Inktense pencils(must remember to seal with spray varnish!!)
then re assemble book

All in all I'm quite pleased with it so far.....needs a title plaque.

What did they call it when victorians went walk-about to europe and asia???

Probably last post before xmas(maybe not ;D) So wishing all my blogland buddies much joy and few puter problems for 2012 :D XXX