Advent Christmas Calendar Full Disclosure

Well, over the last 24 days we opened a little window each day, but here is the full completed project. It is 36 inches in height by 24 inches in width.

This collage assemblage project was worked on by myself (I did the mini paper tole) and Tatjana Stefanovic.

It starts with St Nicholas being at the North Pole and on his way down to the Southern Hemisphere on his reindeer sleigh. So you have to imagine a sort of zig zag downward spiral towards the bottom of the collage. I will show you the full advent calendar on the 25th.

It has then been cut out with 25 little holes giving glimpses of various Christmas scenes. This is where I have paper toled the items and then painted with acrylic glass bead gel.

Here is days 1, 2 and 3 (I'm a bit behind).
Day One:

Day Two:

Day Three:


Day four tomorrow.

Fabio

One of my staff members (Jade) was having her 21st birthday party, and she had a theme, where everybody had to wear a mask. So that was a semi major undertaking.

The mask we made was a collaborative project: I designed it, Ann Na helped, Alana helped and Tatjana helped. And viola we named him Fabio. Once he had been worn, well what else can you do with him, so up he went onto his own mount and framed for everyone else to enjoy!

And thanks Fabio for the night out (he ended up being my date, as my husband had to look after the kids, and wasn't keen on wearing a mask either!).

This is him without the flash.

2D Bohemian Rhapsody

Here is the work that was selected into Somerset Studio's Gallery Series Winter 2007.

I have used 7 Gypsies and Rebecca Sower's (EK Success) products.



And more finer detail. The gypsy wagon is a 2D piece.

The Lady of Shalott

This collage canvas has been worked with wax on vellum, little vignettes of Shakespearean tales, with a quirky add of other stories.

I have used Finmark Decoupage papers here, with a mixture of laser prints. Fibre has been added, to add to the storyline, with spools of wool being used to weave.

A poem has been added as an image transfer using an ink jet printer with a dye ink wash, before layering the image with acrylic gel.

Here is part of the story used as the image transfer:


"There she weaves by night and day
A magic web with colours gay.
She has heard a whisper say,
A curse is on her if she stay
To look down to Camelot.
She knows not what the curse may be,
And so she weaveth steadily,
And little other care hath she,
The Lady of Shalott."

Fairy Wedding Feast

This work is a collage assemblage fantastical piece measuring 610 x 610 mm.

I love 3D compositions with the use of decoupage/collage techniques. In this photo I have used decoupage fairy paper, mixed with mulberry papers, gossamer, glitter, distressed stickers and a few strokes of acrylic paint onto a canvas with added 3D embellishments (cardboard) raised off from the canvas.

I enjoy creating stories within my compositions, and this one is about a prince who proposes to his fairy lady. Another one of the fairies is heartbroken, that the prince has not chosen her, so off she runs. Meanwhile the rest of the piece tells the story of the fairy and the princes' wedding. If you look closely you can see other characters intertwining into the story.

The dwarf and his wife to the right talking about the happy couple, the young girl sneakingly listening in and watching. The wedding in full swing, with various animals playing musical instruments. To the left is one fairy who could not attend the happy occasion, so she has offered a necklace for the new couple. One elf is too shy to take it from the princess fairy, and the other fairy is just too much in a hurry to get there.

Then the bottom of the page, the picnic (wedding feast) is all catered for, with ants and lady bugs assisting with the food. If you slide the mini cardboard container, there are well wishes, characters offering their gifts and presents to the newly married couple, many of them bringing their babies for them. And finally to the left is the pot of gold with a semi circle of gold dust around it. It's utter nonsense really, but the fantastical qualities and story you can make from it, delights many a child (and parent) as they ohh and ah over it.