Commedia dell' Arte

Some characters from Commedia dell' Arte. I'm not quite sure what to do with this piece yet, it seems to be lonely, it may become a scene for a toy theatre piece, so watch this space!

Altered Art Cube

This cube is made of chipboard. I have used a variety of techniques in applying Tattered Angel's Glimmer Mist. I also experimented in using 7 Gypsies dye inks that gave a matte finish.

Some ideas used have been sponging, braying, squirting, and then a mixture of these.

Then vintage clips and Tattered Angel's Glimmer Chipboard has been used to decorate the cube. It is somewhat romantic in its imagery. Babies too.

Art Journalling: Session 6 - Tags on ...

Objective
This journalling assignment reminds me of my young days when I was a Sunday School teacher. I immensely enjoyed making dioramas of bible scenes, huge wall charts and anything else I could make that could hold the attention of children.

We often reflected about characters of the bible, so in this journalling session I have created Tags of Daniel (he was the one in the lion's den). Okay, you don't need to use bible characters, but think of any characters (either fictional, historical, political, or even your mum and dad), then write down five things that set them apart.

Think about what makes them special. These words are going to be on your tags. A bit like how you can 'tag' words online.

Preparation
You will first need to prepare your backgrounds.

One background in your journal you will use chalk pastels to create some natural earthy tones, and remember to smudge, spray and reapply chalk, then smudge again. Your final application should be the fixative (remember, you can use hair spray).

On the other side of the paper I have used Color Box Chalk ink pads, this one is in charcoal. Chalk ink pads do not need to be fixated with any spray.
Then on your tags handwrite the words that describe that person. For me, Daniel meant Intelligence, Wisdom, Discernment, Understanding, and Knowledge. Glue these tags onto your page. Then add two fibres each through one tag hole.

Take a photo or laser print of the subject concerned. I have printed off a illustration of how Daniel was represented by Michaelangelo, on black and white glossy paper and then have used Tom Bow pens to colour it up. If you have any other item to add, add it just below the image; I have used an Autumn Leaves pre-printed Understanding tag.

On the next page I have used K & Co's Ancestry.com Embossed Frames. These have been glued down, and inside them I have handwritten little excerpts about these five key words.

On the next page I have developed those themes further using a HOTP scrapbook paper as the background, and then ink jet printed images in black and white, which I again coloured with Tom Bow pens.
To finish everything off I have added Basic Grey flourish rubons in a mustard yellow and olive green. So completes my four pages.

Below is just a continuation of the theme. This time I have used spearmint acrylic paint and then have just added more Embossed Frames, plenty of stickers and rubons.


Items I explored on this page were further development of those attributes which made the Biblical Daniel unique. He was a Hebrew prophet. In my opinion, he was a universal genius. He would have been a genius in mathematics, physics, chemistry, medicines, astronomy, biology, poetry, language and linguistics; but he was also a spiritual genius.

Being somewhat academically inclined I delved a little further into other geniuses and noticed some similarities. The very top geniuses known in the world, also shared a religious genius: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - highest scoring genius in the world, a German poet, novelist, playwright, natural philosopher, diplomat, and civil servant. His works spanned the fields of theology, philosophy, humanism, science, poetry, drama and literature. His IQ was 210. There was also Emanuel Swedenborg – second highest scoring genius in the world, a Swedish scientist, philosopher, inventor, theologian and Christian mystic. His IQ was 205 (same source as before). Then further down there was Blaise Pascal (French) with an IQ of 195, he was a mathematician, physicist and religious philosopher. So in my humble opinion I would say those top universal geniuses also shared a religious genius, just like our Biblical Daniel did, but I add his was more a spiritual genius (as he advocated not a theology but a revelation of God).

Art Journalling: Session 5 - Making backgrounds using collage and chalks

On one page of your journal glue it with a sheet of black paper. Onto this arrange collage images, here I have used Alphonse Muncha, added a fleur de lys acetate and a slice from a CD which had been previously 'serendipitied' collaged. I then glued these onto the black paper.


The following page I used chalk to create a new background from what I had created. that is, the background was not to be a re-drawing, but a positioning of block colour on to the paper. With chalk you then smudge it with your finger. Then spray with fixative (or hair spray) and re apply more colours, keeping to your first collage for a guide only. The idea is not to replicate the whole thing, but to use it as inspiration to create a whole new background.

Then once the chalk colours have been blended, I have then added more acete (in white print and one with black print) onto the page.

And here they both are side by side.

Vintage Illustration Art Boards

Here are just some more I have been having fun with:


This one looks slightly scrapbooked:

Mother's Day Poem Art Boards

I have taken this idea (and style) from one of my designer's (Lici) who uses mood boards to develop her fashion creations, she has then taken it a step further by converting these mood boards into her fashion art boards. That idea I've changed slighly, instead of fashion I'm just doing art boards.

With these two I have used an old book which had some beautiful poems and vintage illustrations in it, and I have used that as the focal point for the art board.

So here's to my mum:

Vintage French Altered Art Book

In this altered art I have used a lot of stains mixed with metallic paints to create an aged and antique look.

Design Originals used to produce a range of slide mount transparencies (vintage people) and these are what I have used.

The images are reflections of a worldwide trip, with the destination being Paris.

This is the cover of the book which I have made larger for viewing, below are the pages inside (the pages are cardstock).





Again the back cover I have made larger for viewing purposes.

Heidi Swapp Altered Art Clock

Here's a cool altered art clock using Heidi Swapp's clock as a base, Daisy D's paper, and french ribbon.

Art Journalling: Session 4 - Tea stain and acrylic paints

Here I have used tea stains randomly splashed onto the paper and then have added acrylic paint in spearmint and beige colours.

With this page I have titled it Business Ponderings (as I have made some major decisions over the last week), so you may like to try Work Ponderings, Career Ponderings, or anything else that may suit the use of Post It Notes ... which is what I have used next.

I have recently made a decision to close my brick and mortar store down after 10 years and have put various thoughts onto Post It Notes. I have then transferred those Post It Notes to my journal and have added underline scoring with crayons (I have a thing for crayons at the moment, I keep raiding my daughter's ... must buy some of those).

So it's an easily constructed page to do, with tea staining (representing the tea I drink at work), the acrylic paints (representing my creations made at work), and to the Post It Notes (representing messages usually taken down from the phone or other people, or just to remind myself of things to be done in the store). This time, however, I have used the Post It Notes to jot down thoughts to help me through my decision making process ... a novel and creative way of working things out, sometimes.

Oh, do excuse my ramblings on those Post It Notes ... they were ideas I needed to release from myself .... they may change next month ... but for the time being I am being somewhat cynical about the world of commerce and it's uneven playing field. Alas, life goes on.

Garden Inspiration

I have finally done those ATCs in response to our Challenge winner no. 2. I liked how Suzanne had used bling and glossy stickers, so here is my take on that. It's called Garden Inspiration and is in a set of six for the collector (if you are like me, I love collecting things).

Easter Tree

Here is a take on the Christmas tree .... an Easter tree. All you need to do is cut an easter egg shape out onto cardstock, and then use that as your template.


Place it on various colours of paper stock, trace around the template, cut out and then dress up with co-ordinating ribbon or trim, and then use Kindy Glitz or Stickles to add the glitter, you could also add bling (crystals, rhinestones, etc).


The shrub I found in the garden and then spray painted it with gold metallic paint. I've anchored it in the decoupage project which we had running in our shop about two weeks ago. I've used sea glass and marbles to anchor the shrub in the pot plant holder.



And here is a closer look:

ATC Challenge Two Winner

Okay this was a wait I know, but I was sent this one in the mail from Suzanne (of Canada). Here is her take on a spring ATC.



Then she inspired me to develop two of my own using those glossy stickers, but I haven't added the bling (wait next week and I'll do some more, but with added bling):



I will do the ATC challenges probably every month, as I have a lot going on at the moment. So keep in touch on my blog for the next one.

Art Journalling: Session 3 - Three Words that you aspire to

Just a simple journal page this week. I'd like you to think of three words that you aspire to live by, or that you deem or esteem highly in those people you admire.


Here's my take. The words Humility, Dignity and Respect. [AND yes I know I spelt it wrong on my journal page ... ). Then I've got the present Pope and Barack Obama pasted on there, who I think try and live to these words ... but as my father said to me, "judge nothing before the end, as only time will tell".

Here I have used a wash as the background and then used crayons to highlight the words, along with lines (rather than the squiggles I usually draw). Have fun making a cool piece and feel free to show me or let me know.

French Lady Dancers in mini toy theatre/theater

This post was inspired by my blogger friend Tristan (he has a Pink Saturday every Saturday). So here are the ladies, numbers "Six of Spades", "Three of Clubs" and the real shy one in the top right hand corner "Four of Clubs".


And here is Three of Clubs, now she is the real pro, she can climb up the stage and swing on those pink bling ropes.


Meanwhile, give "Six of Spades" a standing ovation and she'll give you a twirl.


Oh our shy gal, so here she is Four of Clubs from her hiding place, giving you a curtsy for enjoying the show.



Then the little birdie in the cage. You can purchase these birdie in cages from our online store: www.scrapbookersdelight.co.nz. (sorry for the pimp).

Art Journalling: Session 2 - First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin

Collage your Favourite Song
– and then interpret its meaning


What you will need:
4 different colours of paint which are of the same colour palette (warm colours or cool colours).*
jar of water
paintbursh
Magazines, brochures, etc

* Warm colours are reds, yellows, pinks, oranges, etc - think of the sun, its colour and heat; cold colours are blues, greens, purples, etc – think of water, the sea - it’s usually cold)

Think about a song you like. What is it that you find attractive about it? Is it just the music, the tune, the melody? Or is it the words that are sung?

I love such a diverse range of music and, sometimes, I don’t know if it is just the beat and the arrangement of various musical instruments, ingeniously put together to make music, that sounds so astounding; or whether it is just the words or the combination of both music, voice and lyrics? I still don’t know. What I do know is that I love the harmonic voice of women, particularly Polynesian women when they sing. Oh how I wish I could sing like them. But my favourite singers all tend to be … yes male …. Ummm maybe it's just that I'll never be able to sing like them at all, at least I can try and replicate women singers.

I don’t really like one song out of them all. I do have my iTunes rated with all my favourite songs (5 is the best, to 1 the least – but it’s still a favourite).

So art journalling a song, I decided to do a take on Leonard Cohen’s “First we Take Manhattan and then we take Berlin”. Just don’t get it, or what that song it about.
But I love the verses that talk about imagery and the juxtaposition of describing that imagery, I mean only a man could say ‘the beauty of our weapons.’

And that’s it the beauty of our weapons isn’t about war, but about the invention and design of them and their capability … all used for harm though, what else? That's a shame.

To help me with this piece I painted in four colours (corals, reds, pinks and yellows) one side of my journal page, and then did a wash on the other side, with these same colours.

First I titled the page with the song and then collected together images of the song paying attention to their size and colour – I needed to make sure they were a good fit for the amount of space I had and that the colours were warm, maybe a few cool colours. I then cut them or ripped them out, and loosely arranged them on one side of the page, before gluing down. Make sure you also show some of the paint, so don’t collage the whole page.


I then put the words on the other side of the page with my feeble attempts of interpreting what Leonard was trying to say … perhaps he didn’t really know.

Tip: A good idea is to start collecting images from magazines, brochures, etc that you may wish to use in your art or collage. File these away in generic folders, e.g. you could have men, women, vintage bits and pieces, toys, cities, buildings, music instruments, or any other topic.