Here

This piece was inspired by the prompts for Viva Las Vegas Stamps May Challenge.

The theme was - everything comes 'round so the idea was to include round stamps and elements. I first stamps with the VLV stamp, Doodle Circle ( 19823) I really must make a list of my VLV stamps as I have to look them up on my order every time!!
I was very excited to try my new Paper Artsy Infusion which my daughter just brought back for me from the UK. I used In the Navy and Sleight Blue which are both colours in the newer ranger.. I then added some stamping with script and compass stamps - which lead to the word 'Here'.
I also added some doodling, some of which I wasn't very happy and so tried to cover with gesso. Turned out it smudged - which I did like! I finished it off with some thread, stick down with gessoed, circle drywall tape.

Twelve Month Challenge - May

Tine for The Craft Barn Monthly Challenge for May and again I have tackled the season for both hemisphere's. I'm not really a drawer (yet!) so was grabbed the lamb napkins I found in my local dollar store knowing I could use them for this challenge.

I used Golden fluid acrylics in gold green and light umber for the background, applying it with an old bank card as this gives more texture. As the background was quite dark, I found it showed through when I glued on the lambs from the napkin, so had to add another layer. I thought I had been quite careful with the placement, but seem to have some ghosting - not a problem really. I then went over the lambs with white Posca pen to make them whiter and also used a couple of flowers from the napkin.

Now for my Southern Hemisphere page. I had been to Wellington with a school trip in the second week of May and these are the amazing blue skies we encountered. This is actually a combination of two photos taken at the waterfront. The top one shows The Michael Fowler Centre and pole sculptures on the 'Taniwha Bridge', with another sculpture and cafes in the lower photo. I really didn't want mess with them or cover them up so all I did was add some glaze and glass bead gel to the top image and some silver foil and gel markers to the sail-like roofs in the bottom image. While my couplet about May reflects the amazing day we had, sadly I will have to admit that during the last two weeks of May, it has done nothing but rain!! Still we are lucky here, as we really do see the sun, and skies like this all year.

Teacher's Pet

Paper Artsy keep coming up with great challenges and this one was so much fun once again.
I hadn't heard the term 'assemblages' before not having studied art but being more of a hobby artist. But now I've learnt this term it makes so much sense and I have seen ideas in places since, and, realised I've created things like this without realising it!

I loved the little robot guys on the Paper Arty Challenge page by Jen Hardwick and her blog has so many fun and inspiring ideas. Makes you want to make art with anything and everything!

So to my entry for the challenge. When we have our Pet Day at the school where I work, the staff always have challenge to create something for the students to view and maybe guess whose piece of art it is or they like the best. Last time we did this the theme as pet rocks. I had lots of ideas - went to the river for rocks, bought some small stones and glass pebbles - but nothing was coming together. At the very last minute/hour (as often happens with theses challenges) I came up with this idea.

Who's the Teachers Pet? I made enough simple characters for everyone in the class, the teacher (me) and then the hidden actual teacher's pet under the table. I loved this creation and keep it in my room.
It was fun seeing the kids guessing which rock was them. Some of them had a fair idea from the speech bubbles above the 'students' as some of these are quotes from the kids.

Imagination - Inspire

A very late post for this month's Mixed Media Moods.

I had the colour, I had the ideas - where did the time go!?

At the time of posting on the Link Up, this is what I had. I'm not sure how, but I think I still have work to do on this.

We Are Our Choices

I'm always excited when I see the Paper Artsy Challenge - this time it was Found Objects - but somehow it has been getting away from me lately and the ideas have either not come or the time has just whizzed by.
I could have just stamped with tubes or plants - but feel like I done that for other challenges so waited for the inspiration to come.

Then in the garden I pulled off stalks that were left from when rhubarb had gone to seed. I never actually seen anything like this. The flowers were cut off and what was left had dried and were hollow. I thought I could use these to emulate the hangings by Eliza Martinez.

I incorporated this with a saying I had found this week, then some lichen, calico, stitching, stamping, paint, wire, string and coloured cord.

I Can´t Stand the Rain

This page is for The Craft Barn´s Song Challenge -I Can Stand the Rain by Tina Turner.
I had the idea to create the rain on acetate using Diamond Glaze, so got that done and set it aside for a few days to make sure it was properly dry.
I have been trying to use more layers and not be so concerned about covering them up.
I started with a layer of tissue then added gesso, some stenciling, ink drips and some postage stamps. Once the raindrops had dried I decided on my window design. I used some crayons to create the timber effect and then coloured with acrylic paints. The flowers and leaves were punch from gelli prints, arranged on the window box which was then stuck to the window frame. This was then stuck  on with a double layer of foam tape.
So normally I´m making sure I have no shadows when taking photos, but this time I wanted them to show the full effect.
I must say, I´m very happy how this turned out.