Christmas Advent Block

It's been nearly a year since I blogged on here!
I've been doing all sorts of stuff..... just not blogging.....

But I'm back with my latest 3D altered creation- and advent block.
I've wanted to create one of these for a while, and this year I finally did :-)

Allsorts of goodies on here:

I've used mostly Graphic 45 papers - both Christmas Carol and 12 Days of Christmas, Each box has been inked with Ranger Tea Die Distress ink to age it a bit.
Some of the boxes have Chipboard on from Graphic 45 Christmas Carol. The centre part of the block is stuffed with Prima flowers and a little chapel from Retro Art Cafe, covered in faux Gold leaf, and a little artificial candle inside.
I had such fun creating this, and the kids found and old are enjoying the goodies in the boxes.


I'm entering this into the following challenges :

Papervines Christmas Challenge

Unruly Readers Art Quest : Gingerbread houses and Candy Canes,

Shabby Tea Room: O Christmas Tree

Happy Seasons Greetings to you all.

Tea Cup Queen

I finally, like finally treated myself to a PaperArtsy stamp set- and I LOVE it!!

 Lots of layering, with sprays, stencils, stamps, acrylic paints and free hand doodling.

close up of tag

I've added lots of shiny stuff, with both gold and copper acrylic paint- love that stuff too.

I'm entering this over at the PaperArtsy  Blog- Shiny stuff. Inspired by Sue Carrington's wall hanging post, loved the gold paint, and how she'd made the last the centre of attention by framing. I've used a tag to create my frame, with acrylic paint.

Masculine

Here are a trio of masculine ATC's, I do love throwing together ATC's. Lots of layering on these.

ATC Masculine trio

lots of inky fun, I'll be adding them to cards at a later date, always hard to make the male cards.

I'm entering this over at Moo Mania, where you don't have to make Moo's :-)

A Global Traveller

I'm really enjoying getting back into creating and blogging, and getting those creative juices going with challenges. I've also been buying some new stamps along the way. I'm really enjoying my new Close to My Heart sets.

Global traveller

I needed a pretty thank you card for 2 very special ladies, I loved combining these travelling stamps, and I love how it's turned out pretty but slightly quirky ;-)

Stamps from: 

Close to My Heart

IndigoBlu

Stampin Up ( retired) 

Stampers Anonymous

I'm entering this card over at the first Unruly Readers art quest of the year- Global Traveller.

And at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Up in the clouds, think the hot air balloon, and dreaming of travel fit perfectly.

This is post 1 of 3 today, so stay posted ;-)

Authentic self canvas

Inspired by a couple of things happening around me, I got in my hot studio today.... and created- gosh it makes for a lighter heart!!

The canvas is small- just 8 x 10 inches, I've used the prompt Authentic Self, and intuitively painted. I started with mod lodge, and doles, scraps of old book pages and a napkin. I've then sprayed with inks, and the painted with my fingers, using various acrylic paints. Finally with black ink and white out pen, I've added the details.

The Dolies and the acrylic paint, which I layered and heated - have created some nice texture, that reminds me of encaustic painting.

I'm entering my canvas over at Mixed Media Place, where the Creative Gym exercise #4  is Intuitive Painting :)

Sweet Sara

It's new release time again at Xquizart, this lovely lacey collection of dolls and papers - Sara

have great week

Wistful

It's Monday- must be time for a new Xquizart release!! Pale Penny - pensive, wistful set. Remember 20 % off for a short while in the Mischief Circus shop.

Have a great week.

Thank You's

It's that time of year when we need to send our thank you to friends and family for our lovely Christmas gifts, I'm usually not so good at this- so was determined to do better this year!

Here are 2 cards I made using both Stampin Up! stamps and their fab Blendabilites, which I'm really enjoying using.

So that's 2 cards winging their way across the world shortly ;-)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Up and Away

I'm really enjoying getting quality studio time in at the moment- its been so SO long. I also just discovered Close to the Heart stamps- love that they are cheap and fun. Here are my first 2 cards created using one of  a few new sets- shhhhh.

Patterned paper from my stash, and I coloured both images with Stampin' Up Blendabilites, which I'm also loving!

Getting Messy

I love getting inky and covered in paint and ink ;-) which is what happened while I was making this card- just for fun!

The background has been created with acrylic paint, stencils and Distress Ink Pad, gold smooch, and Rangers ink sprays.

I've also stamped various stamps from Stamper Anonymous, Flonz, and Studio 490.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

Simon says Stamp-  inky backgrounds!- my fav ;-)

Fashionable Stamping Challenges: Something New- new bling,  distress spray, crocodile skin stencil,  and new cardstock.

And Craft Stamper Blog: Take a Stamp theme :-) - lots of stamps on here ;-)

Gem Collectors

Gem Collectors is such a fun new collection from Xquizart- and I'm definitely thinking these dolls will become favs of mine. And don't forget there's 20% off for a short while ;-)

Hope you're having a great week- summer finally here for us :-)

Steampunk Winged Love

Oh my I've been so busy- my Mojo is on a roll, for my second post today.. I'm sharing with you a little altered winged thing.
Inspired by 2 challenges and my unused stash of goodies that have been waiting for me for way too long.

The 2 challenges are:

Sandee and Amelie Steampunk Challenge- where the challenge is 3's ( added the #3 in roman numerical and  3 lots of 3 roses)

and

the Wings Challenge over at the Mixed Media Creative Gym Exercise #3

Steampunk Winged Love

I've used a whole heap of goodies on here, I started with a masonite base from Retro Art cafe, sparked it with Pewter Distress Spray, stamped with cogs and gears using Archival ink, I then added all sorts of gears and cogs, flowers and roses from my stash. I chose not to colour all the details with metallic paint, but to keep the colours, but add some Charcoal Art Sugar glitter.

Stampunk Winged Love Two

She'll be hanging on my jewellery cupboard - thanks for keeping up with my current art adventures.

My Take on Tim's January Tag

12 tags of 2015 January

I always start the year with the best of intentions to create more, it didn't happen last year- more hopeful for this year!

Here's my take on Tim's first tag of 2015, nice and grungey!! I've gone with a slightly steampunk feel using idea-ology stickers of googles and you can't see it clearly in the photo but a mix of distress glitter and other glitter to get a darker look, I've also embellished with copper acrylic paint as well as pewter distress spray and flicking picket fence.

Linking up to Tim's  12 tags of 2015.

Hola! Mexican Christmas

Hi again, my regular followers will know that most years I do a theme for Christmas- it's the way I handle a hot Christmas here in New Zealand.

This years theme was Mexican, here are some photos from the day.

a quiet seat

the table

Frida Kahlo Shrine area

me, dressed Frida syle

my Frida headdress made by a friend :-)

one of the table centre pieces

the table complete with some of the food

Its a lot of hard work, but I love creating this experience and memories of the day

Vintage Rose

Here's the latest from Mischief Circus Xquixart- so pretty- Vintage Rose.

I also used elements from Holliewood and itKuPilli all available from Mischief Circus 

I'll be posting photos from my Mexican Christmas later, I know some of you love to see my Christmas tables :-)

2014 Favs

I think it;s always useful to have a defective moment of the year- and no difference in reflecting on the creative adventures of the last 12 months- I feel like I didn't create as much as I would of liked, especially in the second half of the year- as some things in my personal life took up a big part of my time. I'm all hands on deck though now- and hoping to really get those stamps, paints and brushes out in 2015!!

Here are my favs from 2014- and as I was choosing I realised I must love altering things ;-)

altered shrine

hand drawn journal page

Frida Shrine

hand drawn tattoo inspired card

Altered unicorn ;-)

tag

Here's a great 2015, filled with Love, Fun and Creative passions!!