Maison Paris

Okay, I've had chance to finish my next LO, this time it opens up and keeps opening up, to finally reveal the Eiffel Tower.

This one is made with a bit extra card, so it isn't as pliable, I'll use thinner card/paper if I do it next time.

The tower looks like its wearing a skirt!!! (That wasn't anticipated either).

Again I've used vintage postcards and a vintage print of a photo. Here are the original cutouts to give you an idea of how I constructed this.

Paris Oh La La

This scrapbook page has been converted into some vintage collage look. I had some cool vintage postcards which needed to be displayed, so voila.

A close up of the keys and bottle.
And more close detail of the Eiffel Tower.

Thank you Paris. Merci.

Turmoil

A friend's drama ... her birdcage of turmoil.

Don't ask me what paramour means, I didn't know!!!

Pre-Raphaelite Conversations

This piece is a quirky take on the beautiful pre-Raphaelite drawings juxtaposed with dressed up animals playing musical instruments, fish swimming in the sky, and another lady close by listening into the secret music of the animals, which only this weaver can hear.

Here this lady is tired from her weaving and she takes some time to rest, only to be visited by a goblin who has come down from the sky in a vintage balloon. It's an eclectic mix of different eras.

This piece is all about one's imagination and trying to let it create it's own story.

Victoriana Paper Doll

This paper doll is made up of Mamelok relief diecuts, e.g. her skirt is a fan, her bodice is made up of a butterfly and flowers, her hat is also butterflies.

Script: Live one day at a time and make it a Masterpiece!

Art Journalling/Journaling: Session 15 - Using Souffle Pens with Tattoo style rubons

Addicted to Your Light
This week's art journalling is of a song of your choice, my one is Halo by Beyonce.
Choose a song and then analyze the lyrics for various images, then add a background that will encapsulate the general meaning of the song, add the images, followed by handwriting the lyrics using a white souffle pen. A souffle pen is a gel type of pen that has a 3D effect, so when using this, ensure you allow the pigment ink to naturally flow, do not write or print like you normally would with a biro.

Finally, just add the tattoo rubons in various places.

Really simple to do this one. Click on the image to enjoy some of the lyrics, or better still play the song.

Marie Antoinette's Toy Theatre Scenes (revisited)

I was so excited to get my toy theatre back from my illustrator (William) that I never really did too much of the altered art work to them. But I've had a couple of weeks to work on them now, giving it that distinct altered art look.

So here goes the new show with all new characters too.

Ladies and Gentlemen introducing the main characters:

And Marie's 'privately owned peasants':

Let the show begin with our toy theater:

"Louis. I plan to go to our hall of mirrors for some light frivolous play with my friends, do you care to join with me?"

[and here is the full panel with a bit of the collage work]

[and use of typography to add effects]

"On come ladies out into my garden ... don't you just love the topiary?"



"Don't trip on your hem ladies."

"Perhaps you'd like to meet my peasants in my hamlet .. it is so rustically charming."

"Mind the horse, he's just been given some fresh hay."

"See how they entertain me."

"That's my favourite child feeding the ducks."

"I'll try and talk to her, I hope she likes this flower I plucked from my garden for her."

[The final panel showing the sky with vellum clouds and puffed wool].

Story teller's note: the story is not meant to be derogatory of Marie, as she was just a product of her time and she knew no better coming into the kingdom as a child ...she was able to live her fantasies and high life for awhile, but she was struck with a cruel blow from those who had loved her.

Yuk King Tan "Drummer"

I have recently been touring some art galleries in Auckland (New Zealand) and was fascinated by this work by Yuk King Tan (exhibition was 21 July to 8 August 2009 at the Sue Crockford Gallery).

It is a cardboard sculpture on a street trolley.
The sculpture is a pierced and punctured drum made from layers of precision cut corrugated cardboard. It symbolizes the echoing of hte abstract architecture and skyscrapers of a ciy also shaped and punctured by changes over time and history.

Alexia Sinclair at Semi-Permanent 09

This morning I spent some time at Semi-Permanent 09 at Auckland's Aotea Square. Alexia Sinclair was delivering a presentation to several hundred people. I am inspired by Alexia's work. You can see why.

Here's her bio:
Alexia Sinclair is an award winning Australian Fine Art photographer and digital artist. Her distinct style is easily recognisable and highly original. Using a visual narrative to seduce her audience with each photographic feast, Sinclair’s art is dark and seductive, baroque and symbolic. Her multilayered photographs subtly present contemporary notions of fashion and beauty through innovative digital media, whilst restoring antique notions of classicism, elegance and luxury.

And more can be found at www.alexiasinclair.com

And for those who don't know who or what Semi-Permanent is: To put it simply Semi-Permanent is a design event. It consists of a conference and side events which include exhibitions, competitions, workshops and parties. It’s a week long celebration of all things design. Graphic Design, Film, Art, Illustration, Web Design, Photography, Visual Effects, Animation, Graffiti, Motion Graphics, Stop Motion; all these things and more. Semi-Permanent explores the diverse and exciting design world bringing together exceptionally talented artists and designers to speak at the event.

Marie Antoinette Hamlet Toy Theatre/Theater Scene

More scenes from my Marie Antoinette toy theatre/theater.

Marie had a specially prepared Hamlet where she could go out into the garden and meet with her very own special peasants.








I've got more scenes to come, her cow, a maid milking a cow, and a lamb. So stay tuned to see more shortly.

Art Journaling: Session 16 - Go and Treat Yourself

Go and treat yourself to something or someplace special and journal it.


This week's journal page is art journalling some treat or special pampering that you have or have just had.

My girlfriends had a girl's night out a couple of weeks ago, it was a pampering night, but somehow I had forgotten to schedule that into my diary; so instead of missing out I decided to go and book some time at a spa (they had a special on, so I was in for the treat).

Honey Melt Ritual retreat and here is my take on journalling that experience (as you may be able to tell Winnie the Pooh also featured ... no surprises there when I've just finished a Winnie the Pooh Montage with my step daughter.)

Art Journaling: Session 15 - Proverb or Poem

Sorry for not posting last week but my time was spent at the SENZ show in Auckland; so I am making up by posting two journal entries this week.

Pick a poem or proverb and write it out then illustrate with pictures (cut out or hand drawn). I have used Tombow pens. Use your pens to make fancy doodles and borders.

Winnie the Pooh Loves Emma!

Yes, it's true Winnie the Pooh has finally fallen in love with Emma, my stepdaughter.
Emma is turning 21, and she still adores Winnie. So to celebrate her occasion, I got a large board and covered it with ripped up pages from a Winnie the Pooh book I had bought second hand, cut out images of her as a child, to be included in with the stories; and then finally added flowers and what nots, and put in other photos of her nestled within the flowers.







Products used on this are Jolee's Boutique Winnie the Pooh stickers, Prima flowers, Kaiser Fusion Felt flower borders, Winnie the Pooh embroidered motifs, and Cricut diecut Winnie the Pooh shapes.

Art Journalling: Session 14 - Let's do Coffee

This week go and check out your pantry and see what sort of coffees you have in stock.
Then write down on sheets of handmade paper the descriptions of that coffee. I bet next time you have a coffee you are going to appreciate it that little bit more.

What's on my menu: Vienna Velvet, Colombian Smooth, Gravity Cruise Control (doesn't sound that exciting that one), and After Dinner Mint Coffee.

I've also added Jolee type stickers to add that little 3 dimensional boost to my page.

Prepare your page with backgrounds that relate to the colour of coffee, add any vintage images you may have, and on the other side use coffee stain to colour that side of your paper. Then add your menu (strips of handmade paper with written descriptions of the coffee).

Vienna Velvet:
Immerse yourself in cream luxury with a cinnamon twist.

Colombian Smooth:
This South American coffee is smooth, creamy and slightly sweet with a declisous chocolate finish. Hmm.

Gravity Cruise Control:
Take a load off, sit back and enjoy the ride. Great for lazy weekends. Yeah that sound's like me.

After Dinner Mint Coffee:
After you have enjoyed a great meal, enjoy a great coffee. One that will lift you up, with peppermint, dark chocolate and vanilla cream flavor. After all, the end of the meal is usually just the start of the evening.

So which one will you have?

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