2011 March

Show And Tell: Wire Wrapped Bracelet And Earrings

March 31, 2011 2 Comments

As I do not have anything new today, and for some reason, I feel the need to post daily (for now, at least), here is a show and tell bracelet and earrings in the Eni Oken style that I made a few years ago. There are only certain types of wire wrap techniques I like, and this is one of them:

The bracelet is made of quartz nuggets, Bali sterling beads, and vintage mother of pearl beads wire wrapped in sterling silver. It is a bit time consuming, but the results are worth it. Eni also has very informative tutorials if you want to give it a try, on her site as well as at Jewelry Lessons.

Filed Under: My Handmade Beads And Jewelry

Drawing Lab 2011: Art Show Blog Hop

March 30, 2011 5 Comments

We are having an art show blog hop to feature some of the work we have accomplished in our drawing lab thus far. I joined Jeannie’s Drawing Lab 2011 class a couple of weeks late, so I decided to do the two assignments I missed. I believe the first week was to draw a cat, and the second week, a bird.

When I was young, we had a couple of calico cats:

When we lived in Australia, the Kookaburras were all around us. I think their calls more than anything made me feel that I was in fact, living down under:

And here is my gallery of some of my favorite work from the drawing lab assignments:

I am really enjoying the drawing lab. I took oil painting lessons as a child in fourth grade with my then best friend, Linda. It was only for about a year, but I have very fond memories of it.

Here is the rest of the blog hop list of participants to visit:

Kim’s blog
Dagi’s blog
Linda’s blog ***YOU ARE HERE***
Marsha’s blog
Grace’s blog

Jeannie’s Blog Our Instructor

Filed Under: Drawing Lab 2011

Digital Whisper 100 Themes Challenge #82 Dance

March 29, 2011 4 Comments

My daughter has a very dainty Cinderella music box from childhood that she treasures. Cinderella and her Prince dance in circles to the music:

The story may be a fairytale, but it captures the dreams of many girls – dancing the night away with your Prince!

Here are the credits:

Background and Elements: Irene Alexeeva Designs

Star Overlay: Mariscrap

Filed Under: Digital Whisper 100 Themes Challenge

Digital Whisper 100 Themes Challenge #61 Cemetery

March 28, 2011 4 Comments

I was visiting Stefanie of Stefanies Sammelsurium blog, and saw a very beautiful photo of the Pere Lachaise Cemetery that she took during her vacation in France. I thought it would make a beautiful theme for the challenge, and contacted her. Stefanie was very kind and generous in permitting me to use her photo for this theme:

I did not want to do too much to the photo as it was so beautiful to begin with. I lived and worked in Paris back in the 80’s , but never happened to visit the Pere Lachaise Cemetery.

Here are the rest of the credits:

Light Flare: Auntie M Designs

Elements: Catherine Designs

Grunge Mask: Teresabelle Designs

Filed Under: Digital Whisper 100 Themes Challenge

Addies Roses And My Very First Scrapbook Freebie

March 27, 2011 1 Comment

I am so excited! Addie of Addies Designs is hosting a scrapbooking challenge. You can find the challenge at Coolscrapsdigital, CU Pack for a freebie. Addie is giving away these very pretty roses and we are to make freebie elements with them:

I have been having fun learning digital graphics/design (on my own and at my own pace) and felt up to the challenge. When I saw the roses, I thought, Mother’s Day! So, without further ado, here is what I came up with:

The above is DH with his mother (isn’t he cute! :-)), and the following is my own beautiful mother:

The white frame is from Delicious Scraps, and the Mother quotes are unknown. And you can download the freebie frames here for your own personal use:

DOWNLOAD HERE

Filed Under: Scrapbook Freebies, Scrapbooking

Digital Whisper 100 Themes Challenge #6 Revolver

March 26, 2011 2 Comments

I am not much of a gun enthusiast, so I had to think a bit about this theme. I saw my daughter eating a banana, and it brought back memories of my boys when they were little. Invariably, when they first grabbed a banana, they would hold it like a gun, and pretend to shoot. As I had a few teenage boys on hand; my younger son on spring break and his friends, I enlisted their help for this theme:

The background is a photoshop modified google image of the movie Gunfight at O.K. Corral, and the grunge frame is from HG Designs.

Filed Under: Digital Whisper 100 Themes Challenge

Bird A Week Challenge: Week 12/52

March 25, 2011 3 Comments

I have not had much mobility to be too creative earlier this week, short of sitting in front of the computer or sitting and drawing. I dedicated this weeks challenge to “Two Injured Birds”. My daughter had knee surgery, and on the same day, I stepped in a pothole, took a very “graceful” dive and ended up at urgent care with a badly sprained ankle. I remember the days when my boys were young, when one got a boo boo, the other had to get a bandaid as well. So, now, I am hobbling around on crutches (my “bandaid”) alongside my daughter on her crutches :-(.

Her injury was a respectable sports related one. Mine, well… we all have our “klutz” moments :-).

For the blog hop list of artists, or if you want to join the challenge:
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Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…

Filed Under: Bird A Week 2011

Drawing Lab 2011: Tracing

March 25, 2011 2 Comments

This weeks assignment was on learning by tracing. Well, something like that. We were to find an Old Master drawing and trace it, then do another one, hand sketched. I chose a drawing of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza by Honore Daumier:

DH thinks Sancho looks like a penguin :-). You can click on the image for a larger version.

Filed Under: Drawing Lab 2011

Organic Bracelet

March 24, 2011 2 Comments

I wanted to try my hand at making organic type beads. But, invariably, the pink snuck in there somehow:

I strung some natural stone nuggets to complement the organic look. You can find the bracelet in my Etsy shop.

Filed Under: My Handmade Beads And Jewelry

Blythe Spring Outfit

March 23, 2011 Leave a Comment

I sewed up a quick top to match a vintage skipper pants:

And a matching crocheted cap as well.

Filed Under: Blythe Doll

Lacy Wire Necklace

March 22, 2011 Leave a Comment

Since I started making glass cabochons, I have been turning some into buttons, and others, well, sit waiting until inspiration hits. Recently, I came across a most wonderful book – Lacy Wire Jewelry by Melody MacDuffee. I now have great ideas on what to do with the glass as well as the rock cabochons I polished at the local Gem and Mineral Society. Here is a necklace I made for a special commission:

The silver leaf reacted with the glass, and gave the cab an overall gold look. I used copper wire and chain, and honey colored seed beads to complement the cab.

Filed Under: My Handmade Beads And Jewelry

Digital Whisper 100 Themes Challenge #2 Love

March 21, 2011 Leave a Comment

There are so many expressions of love… I felt it would be very special to take a photo of DH and I holding hands. For the background, I made a collage of flowers from our garden, and a few flowers I saw on an outing:

I added a photoshop elements effect, golden flakes from Kitty Designs, and an ornate overlay from Robyn Gough Designs. The overlay makes it look like we have tattooed arms.

Filed Under: Digital Whisper 100 Themes Challenge