Happy Birthday to Sunday Postcard Art!

"Birthday Wish"

Postcard

Sunday Postcard Art is celebrating it's very first birthday this weekend! Congratulations, and Happy Birthday to Mandy and Donna, creators of this wonderful challenge site! Some of the art created on these tiny "canvases" is absolutely amazing. I'm sure that these little artistic gems will speak volumes to your Muse, so stop by for a piece of virtual cake.

"Birthday Wish" was created for the Birthday celebration at Sunday Postcard Art. Scrapbook paper was dry mounted to a piece of recycled chipboard and then stamped with pseudo writing in Distress Ink. The trim was created from a piece of scrap paper.

The girl's images are from my collection, and the wings from Dover Publications. The pink "aura" was created with a watercolor crayon. Scrolls were stamped with Distress Ink and highlighted with an orange Prismacolor pencil. To add a bit of Birthday "glam", I added a glittered silver crown, sparkly red foam stars, a bit of glitter on the cake and edged the perimeter with silver marker.

Have a very happy day!

Friday "Freebie" - Woman in Satin

"Woman in Satin"
(For your creative pleasure!)

While doing some research this past week, I happened upon this lovely lady and thought you might enjoy her as much as I.

This portrait (in the public domain) is so evocative of another time. I love her coy, "come hither" look that's full of promises. If I close my eyes I can almost smell her fragrant perfume and hear the tinkle of champagne glasses. Just look at the way the light falls on her dreamy satin gown! So romantic!

Wishing you a weekend filled with romance!

Crowabout Week #37

"The Flying Pig Revue"

5"x7" Journal Page

Round up the children and put on your "Sunday Best"! The "Red Cloud Flying Pig Revue" is in town! The the show features sassy dancing girls, live music; and, the premier act for your entertainment pleasure is . . . (of course) . . . the world renowned Red Cloud flying pigs!

This week's Crowabout challenge was a lot of fun. When I saw the collage sheet, I fell in love with the image of the little porker wearing a crown. And, since a colorful butterfly was included on the sheet too, it was a no-brainer for me . . . I just had to do a flying pig. And, when it comes to flying pigs, the more the merrier as far as I'm concerned!

Approximately nine of this week's given images were used in this production. The sassy dancers are from the Library of Congress, and most of the remaining images were taken from past Crowabout challenge sheets. Photo editing was used for sizing only. All of the images were printed out, hand cut and glued to a piece of scrapbook paper dry mounted to a piece of recycled chipboard.

"Sassy Dancers"
(You may use this in your artwork!)

Enhanced coloring was done with watercolor pencils, Prismacolor pencils and pan pastels. Pitt pens were used for "drawing", and the entire piece was edged with a copper-colored marking pen.

Have an entertaining day!

Sunday Postcard Challenge

"Social Butterfly"

4"x6" Postcard

Awfully cute and awfully social! Someone just received her report card and has a few academic improvements to make! Miss "Social Butterfly" was caught passing notes and whispering in class!

The theme for this Sunday Postcard Art's challenge was "numbers". So, I asked myself how I could incorporate numbers in a whimsical way. My Muse answered with several images from a Flickr photo sharing group: The little girl - Takeabreak; the report card image - Sassyarts; and the ruler - HaDesigns. The butterflies and wings are from Dover Publications.

The Inspiration
(You may use this in your artwork!)

A photo editing program was used to size each of the images. They were carefully cut out and glued to a recycled chipboard base before being hand colored with Prismacolor pencils, watercolors, Twinkling H2O's and pan pastels. Shadows were added with a gray Prismacolor pencil and a smudged charcoal pencil. The "a,b,c" was stamped with dark brown Stazon ink. Distress ink was used to age the report card, and the entire piece was edged with a copper-colored marker.

Although this piece is a little different from my usual repertoire, I enjoyed creating something a tad more whimsical!

Have a whimsical day!

Summer's Here & Friday "Freebies"

"Bathing Beauties"

(Freebies for your creative pleasure!)

I can't believe that it's Memorial Day weekend, and that the beginning of the summer "season" is here! Where did the time go? It seems like it was yesterday when we were wearing parkas and shoveling the white stuff out of our driveways. Hooray for summer!

Although I'm about an hour away from the famous "Jersey Shore", here are a couple of pics that I thought you might enjoy. Do you believe the guy with the tape measure?!? Frankly, he reminded me of the good Sister Marie Saint Augustine - our High School disciplinarian - who derived great pleasure from waiting in the hall and wielding her infamous tape measure at our frumpy, plaid-pleated skirts in High School! (We used to "roll" the waistbands to make our calf-length skirts fashionably short in the late '60s!)

Have fun using these pics from the Library of Congress in your personal artwork!

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"Joe"
(6"x6" Mixed Media Collage on Gallery Canvas)

This piece was created a few months ago with a transfer created from an old photo of my Dad. My Mom had just given me her old photo album loaded with tons of family pictures from the 1940's and '50s. Hidden among the brittle pages was a photo that was taken when my Dad entered the Army as a GI during the World War II. (Believe it or not . . . My Dad's name was Joe!)

When I collaged the piece, I purposely obscured a portion of my Dad's face to honor all of the GI's who served during that timeframe. The gel medium transfer was placed over historic data from The War, an old world atlas and other vintage ephemera, along with tissue paper stars and circles.

I usually don't wear my patriot's heart on my sleeve, but this is the weekend to show my red, white and blue colors. Memorial Day was originally proclaimed to honor the heroic men and women who sacrificed their lives giving service to our great country.

Please take a moment to offer a small prayer of remembrance and gratitude in their memory, and offer a prayer for all of the men and women who serve proudly today. Thanks!

May your weekend be filled with sunshine and smiles!

Crowabout Week # 36

"Margie"
5"x7" Journal Page

Back in the day when men were men and women wore garter belts, "good girls" just didn't . . . ummm . . . as my sainted mom used to say, "You Know"!!! Fast forward to the millennium and along came "Sex & the City". Oh, my! How things have changed!

If you're a fan of Carrie and the girls (as am I!), you'll remember a particular scene from the recent movie. Sitting around a breakfast table at the diner, the girls began to girl-talk about the prowess and stamina of their partners. Charlotte's little daughter was present at the time, and was coloring in her book with crayons. At an attempt to be discreet and family oriented, the girls used the term "coloring" to cleverly describe . . . ummmm . . . You Know!!! (Very funny and well written scene.)

Margie, has a decision to make. She wants to color and likes to color, but will she . . . umm . . . You Know??? Is she a "good girl" or a "nice girl"? Is she saying, "Don't! Stop!" or "Don't stop!"? Does Margie have a "reputation"? Or, is she just a tease? Only you can decide!

"Margie" was created for this week's Crowabout challenge. Four of this week's collage images were used, and many were clipped from past challenges. Margie and her debonair friend are from my collection of vintage images; and, the little fortune was a gift from my friend, Marsha (Tumblefish Studio's Etsy Shop). (Thank you, Marsha!)

All of the images were enhanced with a combination of Prismacolor pencils, watercolor pencils, pan pastels, Twinkling H2O's and Pitt Pens. Some of the images were shadowed with a smudged charcoal pencil. Finally, the edges were gilded with a gold marker.

Have a day filled with laughter!

May

"May"

An Atc

"May" is an ATC that was created for a trade. Rules were that everything on the ATC had to be drawn by hand and then colored in using markers, pencils, etc.! Quite a challenge, indeed! Believe it or not, I'm OK with drawing things on client's walls, but got the "Uh Oh's!" when I began to create this little treasure. I'm just not used to working so small. (I really can't understand how so many artists create inchies!)

The Inspiration!
(You may use this in your artwork!)

Thought you might enjoy seeing my inspiration. I found "May" in a photo sharing group, so thought I'd try my hand. After drawing her lightly in pencil on a blank linen atc, I traced her outline with a black Pitt pen. Then the fun part began!

"May" has been colored with markers, Prismacolors and some Twinkling H2Os. Her rouge is courtesy of some pan pastels, and a gold marker created the dots on the background and the edging.


A very special "thank you" to my friend Tammy from Daisy Yellow, who gave me this wonderful award recently. This award "acknowledges the value of every blogger who shows their efforts to transmit cultural, ethical, literacy and personal values everyday." What a lovely tribute! Thanks again, Tammy.


Before she leaves for a short blogging vacation in June, stop by Daisy Yellow for a visit. Tammy has posted many great tips on drawing mandala's and awesome art journaling techniques. Although her blog proclaims it's for "kids", I think it speaks to the child in all of us!

Have an inspired day!

Friday "Freebies"

Friday Freebie
Girl with Graflex Camera

While doing some research, I stumbled upon a few pictures that I thought were very interesting from a historic, technological point of view. OMG! As if those socks weren't quite enough for beach wear, can you even begin to imagine having to tote around a camera this large?!?! My little digital point and shoot is so small, I can barely find it in my purse!

Another "Freebie"
Mary Pickford

The next shot of Mary Pickford is for the devotees of the little flip video cameras. Look at the size of the tripod on this camera! We've come a long way, Baby!

Please feel free to use these pictures in your art. They're both from the Library of Congress - a wonderful place to investigate when you have the time.

I've Been Tagged!

It's official! I've been tagged by Janine and must list six unimportant things that make me happy. Officially, I'm supposed to tag six more people. However, because I'm a bit unconventional, I'll just do the list part.

Here's the twist: If you'd like to make a "Happy List", leave a comment below with a link to your blog. Could be v-e-r-y interesting! And if you have a chance, check out Janine's colorful style here.

Besides the obvious loves of family, friends, Diva Dog, art and photography, here goes:

1. Babies' "bums" and their laughter. Geeze, I wish I could bottle and sell it!
2. Being curled up in front the fireplace, sitting on the sofa with a good book and a hot cup of tea on a gray, rainy day. And/or . . . Watching the snow come down like crazy, but knowing that everyone's safe and snug inside.
   
3. The way the light dances and reflects on water (eg. a lake, the ocean). I could watch it shift all day!
4. The smell of home baked anything. Reminds me of my childhood and my beloved Grandma.
5. Researching and learning new things.
   
6. Smiles! I love to give and get them!!!
   

Have a happy weekend!

Crowabout Week #35

"Carmelita"
5"x7" Journal Page

Poor Carmelita (I just love that name!) has been forced to dance her way through life in a Buenos Aires dancehall, and dreams of a better life away from the city lights and party atmosphere. "Carmelita" is a page that was created from this week's Crowabout collage images. All of the images on this piece are from Crowabout (past and present challenges), except for the roses (Dover Publications).

The background of this piece was created by enlarging one of the images in a photo editing program and printing it out. Orange acrylic ink was mixed with water in a spray bottle (about 30 drops to 1 ounce of H2O) and then lightly misted over the image twice - allowing for drying in between sprayings.

Additional materials: Prismacolor pencils, watercolors, pan pastels, Pitt pens, gold marker and charcoal pencils. A photo editing program was used to size several images. Everything has been hand cut, hand colored and glued to a piece of recycled chipboard from a cereal box.

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The New Look

Since my old purple background was beginning to feel very claustrophobic to me, I felt it was time for a change. After all . . . women are known for changing their minds! Hope you like the new look.

Have a colorful day!

Minnie the Mermaid

"Minnie"

"Minnie" is a bejeweled Victorian mermaid doll "covered and smothered" (as my friend, Shelly, would say) with ocean-related eye candy. Look closely (right click on the pic) and you'll see multi-colored fish, coral and a few sailing ships.

My mermaid was created for a swap. If you'd like to make a mermaid too, you can find the template at Altered Bits. "Minnie" was created from 140 lb. watercolor paper. Her lovely face and hat are from a Flickr photo sharing group - special thanks to TakeABreak. Her adornments (all from Dover Publications) were cropped and sized in a photo editing program. All of the pieces, including the tiny ones, were hand cut and glued to Minnie's scrap paper body, and hand colored with Prismacolors, watercolors and pan pastels.

Her embellishments include the purple feathers in her hat, rhinestones and a hand-beaded necklace strung on thin gauge copper wire. A piece of patterned scrapbook paper was attached to the back to finish her nicely.

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to everyone! As a small gift, please enjoy this freebie (from a Flickr photo sharing group). Use it to create something wonderful! To save the image, double click on the picture and it will open in a larger window. You may then save it to your hard drive.

I hope you have a wonderful, relaxing weekend that's full of joy, hugs and smiles! Mother's Day Hugs & Blessings!

Crowabout Week #34

"Miss Fish"
(And the 1st Runner Up!)
5"x7" Page

"Miss Fish" and her lovely friend, "The Runner Up", conjures up pleasant memories of silly summer contests and fun.

Creating with this week's Crowabout images proved to be somewhat of a challenge. I really wanted to use all of the images; however, this piece incorporates four. The remainder of the images are from Dover Publications, previous Crowabout challenges and a FLICKR photo sharing group.

Some of the images (eg. "Miss Fish" and "Runner Up") were sized in a photo editing program. Materials used on this piece were watercolors, Twinkling H2O's, Prismacolor pencils, watercolor crayons, pan pastels and Pitt pens. Additional embellishments include foam "glitter" stars and parasols from the party store. A gold marker was used to outline the page and add a bit of glam to the background.

Evening in Paris!

"Evening in Paris"
Postcard 4"x6"

"Evening in Paris" was created for Sunday Postcard Art's black and white challenge and a private swap to create a postcard with at least three circles. Although this piece "scanned" with a bit of a sepia cast, it truly is almost all black and white. Creating in black and white was a challenge within itself for me. It took a bit of courage to step outside of my colorful and lively style. This is quite a departure from my work.

The image of a lady from my collection has been enhanced with charcoal and graphite pencils, and Prismacolors in black and white. I couldn't resist giving her cheeks a hint of rouge with pink pan pastels! (For "Twilight" book fans, - After I finished this piece, I thought this lady looked like my idea of Alice - lovely and feminine! And, no, I haven't seen the movie!!!)

The background was created with a piece of Somerset artists' paper. A text stamp was added before gesso circles were applied, followed by some swirly stamps and the Parisian postage stamp. Finally, the ribbon rose was added to her hair and a scrap of lace (edged with teeny-tiny circles) completes the bottom.

The Unexpected!

Moose Magic!

There's an old saying that my family has heard me use from time to time: "When you least expect it . . . Expect It!"

That's exactly what happened when we discovered this colorful moose sculpture on a recent trip to Bennington, Vermont. There we were, driving slowly through downtown Bennington, when we rounded a corner and "BAM!" There he was - standing quietly in someone's yard - in all of his artful glory!

My poor husband thought I'd permanently lost it when I started to yell: "Pull over! Pull over!" It was love at the first sight of colorful "Mr. Moose", and I had to capture his glorious essence and the wonder of it all! If I may ask, how often do you see a "Magic Moose"?!?! See . . . Expect the unexpected!

May YOUR weekend be filled with unexpected pleasures and artful wonders!