Christmas Bauble

This is the bauble (front and back) I made for the challenge over on Flickr's 'No Bangles and Beads - just baubles' for swapping with another participant when Viv does the random generator thingy on 28 November.

A simple but fun idea I thought to make the bauble dressed for the Christmas ball - the man's tux on one side (made from textured card) with sequin buttons and a silk shirt and on the other side his companion's red velvet evening dress trimmed with tinsel and a string of pearls.

Looks like they'll be having a 'ball of a time'! (groan, groan - lol)

Altered Bottle Tops

"I wanna hold 'em like they do in Texas Plays .....P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker
face"  Eat your heart out Lady GaGa - here's my version of 'Poker Face'!!

The first challenge over on the new Flickr group 'Art 'n' Soul' is to alter three bottletops to be made into either wearable art or as a little wall hanging.

I recycled some used bottletops and left them un-squashed (mainly because my last attempt at flattening some wasn't altogether successful!  I Gesso'd and painted them black then collaged inside them with some miniature playing cards, dice and dymo wording.  The face is moulded from air dried clay and painted with acrylics.  Everything is set into the bottle tops with Ranger's Glossy Accents.

The bottle tops are attached (again with Glossy Accents) to a thin chipboard frame which itself is painted with acrylics.  A suede cord and little metal charm (a hand of cards) finishes it off.

Oops, I don't know if it's my eyes or if this last picture is out of focus - well, I think the background is ok anyway - lol.

I see the moon ...

What a sweet, simple nursery rhyme this is which I found to include on this altered domino book with the moon as it's theme.

It is covered with tissue paper coloured with Brusho paints and glimmer mist.  The moons have been coloured with crystal color lacquer to make them shine.  The little card has been made in much the same way.

They are both for a crafting friend who will be celebrating a big birthday later this year.  I don't think she reads my blog - at least I hope she doesn't anyway or the surprise will be spoilt!

Kreativ Blogger Award

Thank you Pattie for this award - speech, speech - no, I don't think so - lol !

The award rules are:

1. Thank the person who gave this to you.

2. Copy the logo and place it in your blog.

3. Link the person who nominated you.

4. Name 7 things about yourself that no one would really know.

5. Nominate seven 'Kreativ Bloggers'

6. Post links to the seven blogs you nominate

7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know you nominated them.

Here's my 7 things - of course my family and close friends will know some of these but chances are if you're reading this you won't - but if you manage to read all the way through to the end, then you will!!

1. The first time I ever saw a rainbow was when I was 11 years old in a first floor classroom at school and I've been enchanted by them ever since.  Even today, whenever the sun shines after it has been raining and the sky is that certain dark shade of grey, I run to the window looking for that magical sight!
2. My maternal grandfather used to be an amateur boxer.
3. Sherry is an abbreviation for my real christian name.
4. I still don't know my right from my left and have to rely on a little bump on the middle finger of my right hand to prompt me! (.. or is my left hand)
5. My teen pop idols were Donny Osmond and David Cassidy.
6. Idols now are Celine Dion and Leonard Cohen (to name a couple)
7. I used to work part time in a library after school and my favourite thing was date stamping outgoing books - funny that I should like rubber stamping so much now!

I now need to nominate seven blogs but think I'll need a bit of time to decide that one.

Thanks again Pattie my friend x

Simply Charming!

These are the fabulous charms I received today from Kim in Canada for the 'Romance' charm swap I took part in on her site Paper Digital Art & Images By Kim. 

I love them all, they're all so different and unique but my favourite (if I'm allowed to have a favourite) is from Lydia Hildebrandt aka Kenning Stone and includes a tiny little canvas covered book called 'A Love Story' which even has actual pages with a story on them - how cute is that!  I wish I had the patience to come up with that kind of attention to detail. 

Kim's next charm swap is for Christmas and I've already sent my charms off to her - so it's official now - I'm addicted to charms (as well as everything else - lol)

Altered Jigsaw Piece

This puzzle piece is from a children's puzzle and measures just under 4" x 4".

The base was painted off white then rubber stamped with a 'Stamper Anonymous' stamp from the Tim Holtz collection called 'pattern pieces' which is one of my current favourites.  The smaller puzzle piece was stamped with a PaperArtsy mini stamp (MN20).

I then attached some vintage paper pattern pieces over the top with melted beeswax and coloured the edges with some dark brown and black melted wax crayons.

The holes to hold the embellishments and ribbon hanger were Crop-o-diled.

The torso / mannequin was moulded with air dried clay and covered with some more of the vintage paper pattern.

I think I may need to stock up on the beeswax now as I'd forgotton how enjoyable it is to work with - lol.

Masquerade Paper Doll

This is a paper doll for a swap entitled 'Masquerade Ball' on the Yahoo group Fantastic Flat Paper Dolls.  As the doll is going to a ball I thought a long gown was in order, so for once, the legs are covered up (although you can still see them through the lace insert of the skirt!). 

Her mask is painted onto her moulded clay face and that cone on top of her head is supposed to be an 'up do' hairstyle - It's a card triangle shape covered with some embroidery thread and hightlighted with Stickles and seed beads. I cut her fringe a little too short too (it's lucky I'm not an hairdreser!!)

The curly strings are meant to be hanging from the mask and they too are embroidery thread coated with the paint and curled around a thin stick while still wet.

The gown is from oddments of lace, silk, netting and plastraw.  I rubber stamped some stockings on the legs with one of Tim Holtz's texture stamps and her sparkly shoes are more of Ranger's Stickles.

So all she needs now is a partner to accompany her to the ball!

Domino Doll - 'Sweet Suzie'

Sweet little Suzie will soon be on her way to Wendy as she's my partner for the altered domino doll swap over on Flickr's Altered Dominos & Other Altered Game Pieces group.

As I didn't have any actual dominos with suitable holes drilled, I used a bamboo domino which has two sets of holes drilled throughout the length.  I hope Wendy won't mind that it isn't an authentic domino - it does look the same but not as heavy.

The body is clothed with scraps of fabric and the limbs are assorted beads.  The head is flat wooden bead which luckily also had two holes drilled into, so I was able to attach it to the body with the same wire the leg beads were threaded onto.

I painted the facial features on and attached a paper flower behind the head.

I inked the back of the domino with some pearlescent crimson Brilliance and attached a piece of tissue paper which I'd pre stamped a harlequin pattern onto.

Miss Halloween 2009

This month's theme on the Art Raffle is 'Black and Orange' (although it doesn't necessarily have to be Halloween related).

As my creative brain doesn't stretch very far I decided to make ... yes, another paper doll!  She turned out to be something of an exhibitionist with her tight bright orange bodice, pumpkin button bra and black lacy tutu with matching cloak.

Her hair and bodice are Plastraw (like raffia but stronger), her crown is a glittered up plastic embellishment and her stripey socks are coloured in with Marvy LePlume markers.

She looks like a winner to me - so I've crowned her 'Miss Halloween 2009' ........ what's that you say .... 'Smashing Pumpkins' ?   No, I've never been into their music ..... sorry, I couldn't resist adding that!