Marions Postage People and more

OMG OMG, its been 13months since I have been on here, and noticed that the header is changed LOL Don't know when my GF Bevlea did that for me LOL.............. Shes a treasure.

Anyway, lots happened over the year. We are flat out here at camp and that keeps me very busy and not a lot of time for arting etc. I am so over Facebook that I think I will resurrect my time on Blogger and start doing this a bit more, even if its just family updates etc.  On that note the kids have grown so much, Paul is now 8 years old. Toria will be 7 on 26th July and Aroha will turn 4 in September.  They are little treasures (mostly)

Anyway, wont bore you any more on this post as I know Marion is "waiting patiently" for the pics of my ATCS.
So here goes......  They were fun to make.

Bride to Be

Belle Jardiniere

HMS Block 27 Warden

Madam Lilou

I hope the recipients like them...........
This one is one of two that I made also. One for me and one for Bevlea who was doing the swap but had to pull out :-)  

Mr Hobbit

Next one, Textured tags and more.

I have been in a swap in NZ for Textured Tags......
I have been very slack and haven't kept up with swaps as I just don't seem to find much time at the moment.
Previous house moves have seen me sorted and set up within a few days, but this time with 3 children, plus the work that was needed here for the job etc has held me up to the point of still having boxes of my craft room stuff out in the shed waiting to be unpacked. I go out and hunt it down when I need something.
But here is the tags for the year so far that are ready to be posted to NZ and on the the lovely participants who are patiently ( I hope) waiting for them.

January Texture Paste

February Tissue Paper

March String.

April Crackle Stamp & Lumieres

May Altered Acetate

They will be postal in next couple of days.  My apologies again to those waiting.

I have been a bit lost since moving up here as the Internet connection has been very poor. What was provided was not enuf to do anything let alone what I used to do from Melbourne. It has been upgraded now, but still not enough to really spend time online with my friends, which is really a life saver for me as we are so isolated now.. 

Next is an altered Paint Brush that we did for Paperarts group mixed media swap.

Miss Merpaint

Took me quite a while to sort this one out. I just lost my mojo completely.

Here is the one I received  from Sharon Fozard.

From Sharon.

It is quite sad that the Paperarts group is going to close at the end of the year as we are just not getting the participants in swaps any more. Don't know why, apart from everybody is so busy and the postal costs are horrific these days. It will be a sad day when the group is finally closed. Altho Bevlea has opened up ArtQueens to anybody from Paperarts that would like to continue swapping.

Well here I am again,

promises, promises. I better stop it :-)  I was reading my friend Barbs blog and it has prompted me to hurry up and get something new in here.I promise I will be back and life and family etc gets in the way. Along with moving house and town and job. I also needed to post for Marions (from Germany) International swap so she can direct the participants to see what they are in for :-).
So first up here are my three Bird people.

Mother Goose had been at it again.

Reminded me of Dr Suess books

A sweet little girl, waiting to fly off to where-ever.

I love Marion's swaps. Along with a few other swaps too. That I will post in a few minutes.

Luscious Sprays

Yesterday, I went over to Bevlea,s, one of the 4BFFs, Lucy was there too and we had a great day, just chilling, chinwagging over lunch, its been a while since we all got together.
While together, Lucy used the Big shot to cut and emboss some of my dies and embossing folders. Bevlea and I mixed up some sprays using my pigment powders and a mix of hers and my distress reinkers to make the most luscious sprays to use.
Bevlea took a pic of the completed bottles.

Luminarte Pigment Sprays

Aren't they delicious?. Bevlea tested them out last night and I started the first page of the journal I made at Jan Harris class. I am going to use it like Bevlea is using hers to have as an art journal to just jot things try things etc.
Bevlea also updated my external hard-drive with a few things to transfer to desktop and laptop, Mostly images that we have bought but she had hers sorted into a great filing system so now mine are the same :-)
Hope to get together with them again real soon.

I joined in with Denis Phillips from Birdnuts Mixed Media ATC swap again, with Hidden Vintage Studios kit called Teacup Tricksters. They are winging their way across the ocean to her home in Canada to join the swap. I am not into Halloween in any way, but the images are quite gorgeous, so here are mine.

See you again soon.

BTW, Geoff has been over in Israel as a bus captain on a large tour, he was looking after a busload of people from USA and Canada. He said he overheard them telling another bus lot that he was a Kiwi and was quaint ROFLMHO.... He is home tomorrow night thank goodness, I am not very good at being a solo mum :-)  

Mail arrived today

from the lovely Marion from Germany
Lookee what I got.....

I sent Marion some arty feathers in the swap envie and she had never seen the colored ones so I got some and posted to her to use :-)   I do so  love both of these pieces of art..... Thank you so much Marion. My first originals from you. Yay!!!!!!   and the postcard says it all for me as:

I am home alone with the children at the moment as my beloved is in Israel with his work as a bus captain looking after about 50 lovely USA people on the tour. I can't wait for him to come home, mind you I hope he takes heaps of photos of buildings etc for me to use in artwork. We have never been away on trips overseas without each other and this is so hard...............

4 Weeks has past

wow, and I haven't posted in that time. Bad me, but I was visiting lots of fabulous blogs for the Where Bloggers Create 2013, see previous post.
I received from a new Facebook friend in USA a gorgeous canvas of Zaccy that she painted for me from a pic of my boy. This is the Facebook pic, might need to take a pic or scan myself and put it in. He has had a haircut since this tho. I was so blown away that Sherry (visit her via the link), wanted to do this for me just because I said something nice about someone :-)

Zaccy

Then we arranged to swap a fairy shrine from Retro Cafe Gallery  so I bought a few shrines and made hers.

This is the one from her.

And mine to her..

Front

Back

She has gone on her way via Aus post and hopefully has winged her way across the seas by now. :-)

Also have done another page for Art Queens of Australia swap. This one is for Vivienne. I don't think I am totally happy with it yet, so it may change a bit over the weekend.

I have a few more swaps to finish over the weekend, so will hopefully post again soon. 

Thanks for visiting and please leave me a comment. :-)

Tryptich ATC swap with

Denise Phillips and Nancy Baumiller of Crowabout B studio. .Nancy is giving away a $25 Gift Certificate in a draw if you use some of her images on the ATCs.
The swap is to do two sets of ATCs, one that Denise will keep and swap with one of hers and then the other goes to another participant. There are only 20 spaces in the swap, so should be good.
Here is my entry.

I have used my own background, then two images from Nancys range. The wings are from Itkupilli that I have recolored. Added some punch stars and some words. I love this one and can't wait to see what I get back in return.

Art Queens Tip In 2

It's time again for a Tip-in page. This one is for Kyla DeRuiter. Sort of a bit Zetti, but not too much. It has to have a quote on each one, this one says "A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words"
Strayed into different colors, background started out as Pink/Teal and Silver., then added some white stamping with a wooden stamp, then a mask with "frayed burlap" distress ink. Added some "peacock feather" distress ink through some sequin waste. Pic is from CrowaboutStudios . Also put a piece of Washi tape along near the bottom so the girl is not floating in the air.

I hope Kyla likes it.  I love doing this style. 

I am also doing some ATCs for a swap with Denise Phillips and Nancy Baumiller  from CrowaboutStudioB, using an image from Nancy,the ATCs are Tryptich playing card ATC's. They have to be in Denise's hands by mid July so I need to get onto them this weekend :-) I will show you when I have done them. I need to make two sets as one set gets swapped with another artist and the other is for Denise and she will send a set back done by her, yipee.................. So off to work I go......

Tip In Swap for ArtQueens

Artqueens is holding  a Tip-in Swap, we are making one page a month and working through the list of who to post it to. At the end of the swap we will have art work from each person to put into a book or bind however we want to do this. My first page went to Kasha.  I had forgotten that the pages required a quote, but hope my words are ok as one.

This page is to me from Bevlea for June.

Lets see if I can do something on here each week from now on. Pigs fly too, or as the saying goes in NZ "Yeah Right Tui"  Maybe I better join in the WOYWW.  Through "Whats on Your Workkbench Wednesday that is run each week with the guidance of Julia Dunnit.   But then again I am not so sure I could commit to it. We shall see. 

I am about to make my ATC's for Marions yearly swap which need to get to her in Germany by mid July. This time the title is My Home is my castle. So got to rouse my muse and get on with them. See you soon.

Paperarts Same Image Canvas

We got sent an image from Lucy and had to use it on a 12x12 or slightly smaller flat canvas.
I only had  a 12x12 and no opportunity to go and buy anything smaller so this is my effort.
I don't know who it's going to yet.

Knowledge is not necessarily Wisdom.

I started off with two pieces of scrap-booking paper and put them on each half, originally going to do it landscape, then decided to do it portrait. The image we had to use is the girl from Hidden Vintage Studio, "Sitting pretty girl." From DeviantScrap Because she had a book in her hands it denoted wisdom to me so needed an owl (which I love)  as well. I have added molding paste through sequin waste and then colored with several metallic rubons. I hope whoever receives it likes it. Its always hard to do this sort of swap not knowing who its going to so not knowing their tastes at all :-)

MORE ATCS and A JIGSAW SWAP

I bought a new collage sheet from ARTchix Studio as a download a couple of days ago and so made these ATCs with parts of them. One is a for the WTA in Paperarts and the other just a spare to swap or whatever . I love Owls and have done since I was a child. My mum had a lovely ceramic owl, but when she died and I went to clear her house out I couldn't find it sadly.

The one on the left is for the WTA (Winner Takes All)
The one on the right is a spare to swap etc.

The months swap for Paperarts was Steampunk with moving parts.
I made a cog background and found a pic of Charlie Chaplin which I sat on a Alterations Tim Holtz Gears die that I cut out with some silver card and added a screw type brad. Charlie does swing from side to side , hence the title ...........                            "Charlie Really Swings"

I also have been making some jigsaw pieces for a group swap in New Zealand.
Each person had a colour theme that we had to do it in. Otherwise it was a free theme.  Sorry they are in centre :-) I couldn't get them to go 3 to a row

Black and White 

 Green & Brown

Black and Gold

Purple and Silver

Torquoise and Gold

White and Gold

Green and Brown

Blue/Green and Silver

.When the recipients have received them I will add the names of who they are for. Lets see if they can guess.
I enjoyed this swap. Mine is not made yet as I want to wait and see what I get back. My colours are Raspberry, Lime green and White....


                                                                                       

ATCs for Paperarts July Swap

The title for July is Magazine faces altered.

Here  are mine, I couldn't get any faces the same. Mostly they are ads from House and Garden.
I have sort of Zetti'd them, by gessoing the original of which I forgot to scan before I changed them, then blending Distress inks around the figure, some I drew the body and some are images I have from Teesha Moore etc.

I think I will keep the bottom one for myself with the saying "Love who you are". Hope the recipients like them.

Some artwork done in recent weeks

Hi all
I haven't done too much the last few weeks. We didn't get to have our play day a the beginning of the month it has been postponed until next week. I am so looking forward to catching up with Bevlea, Lucy and Caro. We are going to complete our fabric cuffs and Caro and I will be starting the journal that Bev and Lucy have already done

Anyway I have done a couple of Houses of History pages for Paperarts swap. I forgot to scan the one for Jane, but here is the one I did for Roslyn "Art Deco 1950s"

The pics are from an old Art Deco address book that I have here.

Above is the front page,to the right is the back.




I am glad that Roslyn likes them and also the colors, different for me LOL.

I have also done the July ATC for NZ Stampers.

Title was "Elizabeth"

I used a part of Lyn Perella's 8x8 page that I got from Stampington.com
We got sent different 6 articles,(enough for each person in the swap) and we have to use at least one each month. This time it was the little gold coin with a head on it that I have put on the hat..

Now I am preparing the ATC bases for Paperarts. We have to use magazine images and alter them. But the face has to be seen.
A challenge.............................................in the making...

Altered Cabinet Card

The bi-monthly swap for Paperarts was to Alter a Cabinet Card in Steampunk style. I am not too good at the Steampunk stuff, but here's my entry.
Don't know who it has to go too yet, but hope that person likes it.   She's waiting for one of the steampunk style Taxis to pick her up.........

I was a bit slow this past week as I have had sick kids, and then I got the dreaded lurgy too. I forgot what it's like to be sick and have kids over it. Ahhhhhh............................. Anyway, hope to be over it shortly and back on top of things, fingers xxxxx.......

   My entry for the Paperarts ATC swap is a  bit late too..

Here is the pic of it if your interested.  The title is Domestic Goddesses 1950's

Marion's Mona and Friends ATC swap.

Marion Bockelmann from Germany hosts a swap of three ATC's every year and I was invited again to join in. Marion chose the theme to include any  Renaissance women to alter. She said "Let´s face the word "Re-naissance" and give these ladies a new birth by altering them and their surroundings!"


So my altered ATC  Is named "Beauty School Drop-out"  
I cut out some Lynne Perella paper I had for the dress, wrapped some scrappers floss around the dress  and then the Mad Hatters hat made a  lovely addition to her ensemble.The background is one of Itkupilli's lovely creations altered with stamps and paint.


The original was "A portrait of a Nude Woman -Fornarina 1518 Renaissance Master by Raphael.
I love the pre Rapaelite paintings.





They are now on the way to Marion's in Germany to be swapped out among her international players.


Bracelet update.........................
On my birthday and my bingle day (accident) Bevlea, Lucy and Caro and I started to make the Fabric Cuffs.
I have done some more to one of mine by adding some lace, ribbon etc and the lovely brass butterfly Bevlea gave me to go with the Cameo that I think came out of my mother-in-laws jewellery box at some stage, not the antique I would like but still a treasure and I am pleased to be able to put it on something I will wear. 

We still have to make the metal ends for it and add the cream buttons that I have sewn onto a piece of crotcheted (sp) cotton that Bev and Lucy made for us. I am hanging out to have our next play day on 1st July so we can finish them......... Then I can add the others here too.

Hinged Canvas for Paperarts and family stuff.

The October swap for Paperarts was a Hinged Reversed Halloween Canvas, it was supposed to be 5x7 but I couldn't find that size so did it 6x8. Hope that's ok Barb :-)
I did mine more in the Spooky line with images from Itkupilli as I am not a fan of Halloween at all, very American. At first  I was not even going to do this swap, but after seeing Bevlea's fabulous canvas I changed my mind and decided to the same type of theme as hers.

I hope that whoever gets my canvas will like it and isn't expecting pumpkins with candles in it :-)

I have painted the outer edge of the canvas with Golden burnt umber and over painted it with Light umber then a coat of micaceaous  iron oxide  , then on went some trusty black texture paste as well over the staples on the canvas and then more micaceaous iron oxide. I even branched out a bit and put some mica on the windows.

Family Stuff.
Well, the children's mother decided she could not hack it here in Australia any-more as she  wanted to be with our son, her partner back in New Zealand. So she lost the plot last Sunday night and threw a hissy fit and we booked her a ticket home. She left the children with us on Tuesday morning (voluntary, abandoning them) Haven't heard from her since. Quite frankly after talking with the neighbours here who were home during the day when we were at work, hearing what was happening, (wish they had told us), the children  are better off with us even though it is going to mean a huge upheaval for us all and childcare at least 3-4 days a week etc for them. Victoria is blossoming in just the few days the mum has been gone. Some (family) may never understand why we insisted on having them here in the first place instead of leaving them back in Kerikeri with other family members on Geoff's side of our family as they all wanted, but the past history with their mother has proved correct, she is incapable of looking after them . Anyway, they are two precious little souls that need a loving stable environment to blossom in. And with help from our work colleagues  and our friends here we will get by.