Jen Worden Challenge Day 5/Week 8

Here is my latest contribution to Jen Wordens challenge. This is of my youngest daughter Madison with a rather quizzical expression on her face. This little treasure always makes me laugh at her antics and is (usually) such an easy going sweetheart!!

Enjoy and I will post todays challenge, tonight!

NOTE**

Replaced scanned picture with photographed one above. It has curled a little with the heat we have been having here, but still, you get the idea.

Jen Worden Challenge Day 4/Week 8

Here is Day 4 of Jen Wordens weekly art challenge. This is me and my Kaitlin, although she looks a little 'Demonised' is this portrait!!

And here is an Arch for the Gothic Arch Challenge. This is an old challenge, I am trying to catch up! This was for the theme 'purple'.

A big HELLO to Krissi a fellow West Aussie who was lovely enough to call me at the shop today.
It is so nice to chat with fellow bloggers.

To all those attending the retreats in May this year... the countdown is on! It is all getting very exciting and I can't wait to catch up with the gorgeous Nina again! I am sure someone out there knows exactly how many sleeps to go, so let me know.
Well, I am going out to work at my friend Dis scrapbook shop this evening so I had better get dinner started for the mob. 'A' is at work until just before I leave so it will be a case of 'ships that pass in the night'!! We are trying desperately to save up for a new car for me, but there is always something that comes up, like those vet bills!! So, we are both taking extra work where we can get it, but it gets to the point where you feel like you are in a long distance relationship!
Okay, enough whingeing, thats not getting dinner cooked! More tomorrow!

Jen Worden Challenge Day 3/Week 8

And here is Day 3.

Jen Worden Challenge Day 2/Week 8

Here is my day 2 cartoon for Jen Wordens challenge

Jen Worden Challenge Week 8

Finally finished one of Jens Challenges before the deadline! Am going to try and do one a day but already have 2 days to catch up on. Today started out well, but a situation has come up that has caused some soul searching and heartache. Some days it IS just way too hard to be a parent!


This is the page I started in my art journal last night. I have used the Tim Holtz Grunge Board and Crackle Paint.


This was one I made while I was waiting for the glue to dry on the previous page! Very quick and easy but I love the effect. The journaling was inspired by an article by Donna Bauermiller in the latest Somerset Studio. Page 34, volume 12 issue 3.


Heres hoping the day ends in some solutions....
Meanwhile, art as therapy!!

Full moons and Art...

There must be something about full moons and art as I have been so inspired and itching to create the last few days. I can't seem to think about anything else.
We were blessed with this beautiful full moon, I think it was on Thursday night. I find it really hard to capture the moon without getting double/triple blur images. I re ally should have used my tripod!

Also, it is a shame about the power lines, but we do live in the middle of suburbia!


As I mentioned, I have had this urge to create lately. It is almost feverish. I just want to paint and glue and colour.....
This (below) is my latest entry in to my art journal. I made this when I got home from my brothers last night. The playing card is another one that I have made previously. It is using a page from the phone book painted with NA Gold mixed with glazing fluid. I then glued images behind clear pebbles and adhered to card. This was glued on to a page from a magazine, which was then stuck to my journal page. In order to do my journaling, I painted a couple of stripes with gesso. Once finished, everything was outlined with my Caran D'Ache crayons.


These canvases I started yesterday morning, then couldn't get back to them until early yesterday evening. I was sooo happy with how they turned out and with how quickly they came together. They will go on display in the shop for a while, then I think I will hang them in my studio.

This was the first one I made. I painted the canvases with a mixture of Titan buff, titanium white and a drop of NA Yellow. Once dry, I painted a rough coat of white. I then did the image transfers with the Regular Gel Matte. I wasn't sure how they would turn out as the images were ones I had had for about three years. But, as you can see they worked out great!


The Pierrot images on the first canvas and this one below were off the internet. These were glued down after I had done the image transfers.

I then added details with my charcoal pencil. I love how the charcoal defines everything, definitely one of my favourite tools. This image below was purchased from art-e-zine.co.uk. I bought this pack about a year ago and yesterday I purchased the cabinet card pack. If you are looking for great images at a fantastic price, this place is the place to go. You pay a donation by paypal and then you can download the images straight away. Too easy!


Well, it is Sunday morning, I have slept in, so the day is wasting away! I will do a mad dash around the house to get it in some semblance of order, then I can get back in to my studio! The canvases were made to Jen Wordens art challenge, but were late. I also want to catch up on some of my Gothic Arches, started another page in my art journal, so want to finish that and I want to make some more canvases but in stronger colours! So much to do, so little time....

As promised...

Firstly as I know you are all probably itching to find out. My daughter Samara drew the name out of the hat this morning and it is........

Karen said...

The laser cuts are amazing. Your poor dog! I hope she heals up nice and quickly.

Karen, could you please email me with your address so I can send your prize package off to you.
Congratulations!!!!

Had a very productive Sunday afternoon and managed to get some pages done in my art journal.


I have had this image from a magazine for ages and just loved it. The 'faith' is a rub-on. It is a bit hard to tell from the picture but I put a wash of Golden 'stainless steel' over the top which gives it a shimmery ethereal look!



Sorry about the blurry pic, I took the photos in a hurry before serving up dinner tonight! The centre artwork is an altered large playing card that I made a while ago. The title was cut from a painted piece I made in a Jen Worden challenge.



This page is a little dark as that was my mood! Having a few problems with one of my daughters and it seems to have crept in to my artwork. Oh well, art as therapy!!



These two (above and below) were very much inspired by Teesha Moore, I so admire her work and her use of colour and images.




On Saturday afternoon, we decided to take a drive down to the beach for the afternoon. It was glorious!! The weather was perfect, not too jot. The water was a bit cool and rough, but the kids were quite happy splashing along the shore line.
Photos of feet in sand, inspired by Nina!!


Little Madison, it was hard to keep her still long enough!


Kaitlin, I love the sillhouete photos, I know that professionals will say that this image is not great as the subject is not clear, but I love the effect and really that is all that matters. They came up great printed too.

Courtney having a blast. She looks like she is loving every moment of this!

One of my favourite photos from the day. I was so rapt to catch this shot just as the wave broke over them. My camera may not be an expensive one but geez it catches such great detail. These were all taken it auto mode and I haven't retouched them in any way other than to resize.

We managed to do a great deal of beach combing and I found a heap of sea glass... fantastic. I have been searching beaches for months looking for this stuff and only ever found one piece. On this day we got a load. Can't wait to incorporate it in to some art work.
Well it is getting late and I still have a heap of work to do. We are clearing out a lot of our stamps to make room for the Catherine Moore ones that arrived today. Make sure you check the website as the sale will start in the next couple of days.

Sorry.........

Life has got in the way of blogging. Competition results , news, photos and latest art all coming tonight. Promise!!

Post #99

Okay, now the formatting on blogger is playing up, so I am not sure hoe this post is going to come out!!?

It has been a while since I last posted. I have been busy getting all the kids ready to return back to school. They are all growing so fast! Madison is in Yr2, Kaitlin Yr3, Courtney Yr6 (!!!!!!!!!!!), Jessica in Yr10 and Samara is studying for Cert. in Teachers Assistant. They all started last Monday, so today is really my first 'free' day in the past 8 weeks. Loving the quiet of the house, just the hum of the air conditioner.

I returned to work on Tuesday and have been so busy getting the retreat organised, doing our workshop schedule (online tomorrow!), ordering new stock and planning some exciting new things for 2008. More later in the post.

Don't forget that this post and the next are your last chance to leave comments and go in to the draw for a fabulous prize package. This package includes Golden products, ephemera pack, ribbons and trims, UM stamp and more. Just leave a comment and you are in the draw!

We finally had some rain last week and it was wonderful. So cool, wet and refreshing. It washed the dust off our city and cleansed my senses. Nothing inspires me more than a good rainfall and it has been sooooo long since it last rained. Alas, the rain has passed and we are back to hot days and balmy nights.
Okay, just a quick note on the competition we are planning. It will be a monthly challenge. You will purchase the kit of the month and create a masterpiece. The winner will receive the next months kit free. Stay tuned for more details....
Happy Monday.