2013 Artful Gathering Online retreat

If you have not had an opportunity to take an online class from some of the most amazing instructors ever...Now is your chance.  You can still sign up for the second session of Artful Gathering that just started this week.  The videos are great, the classes, are awesome and the teachers are amazing!  I took a class from Colleen Moody, the doll Atelier.  She taught a class on making one her amazing Birdie clay dolls.  Briley the Birdie.  I have to say it was one of the easiest classes to follow.  Colleen is a wonderful and talented teacher and artist.  I have taken classes from her in person and it was just like being there.

This is my version of Briley the Birdie, her name is Isabelle and she was a swap gift for my Swap partner Theresa, Dulaney Woods Treasures.  Theresa has received  her swap so I can now share Isabelle with you.  I have been so excited for her reveal.

I have several more in the works that are not finished yet.  I love working with this medium.

  

I also sent other goodies to Theresa along with Isabelle, but I did not take any photos.  Hopefully Theresa will share some pics when she gets her stash. 

I will aslo be showing my altered playing cards art work when I am finished with them.  That class, The Spoken Soul, was taught by Mary Jane Chadbourne, Desert Dream Studios.  Mary Jane is teaching another class this session too. 

Thanks for stopping by.  Blessings....Becs

Kindred Souls "With One Image" Swap cards

Hi all, As some of you might have seen, I posted some cards I made for a swap with Kindred Souls Art Group.  The swap was for cards using the same image but used however we wanted.  To see the cards I made click here. 

These are the cards I got in return.  They are all so different and amazing.

made by Gloria Alexander, Leader of Kindred Souls Art Group

 

 

made by Stephen Jew, bearcrazyman blog

made by Carol Sweeney, Creative Expressions

 

 

made by Victoria Sturdevant, art by vic blog

 

 

made by Mary Beth Janisse, My Journey Into Art

 

I have some more swap returns to post in a day or two.  Thanks for stopping by and please check out the other artists' blogs for more amazing art work.             Becs

 

Farmhouse Summer Swap reveal

 

A few weeks ago I joined Amy, Bumble Bee Lane's, Farmhouse Summer Swap. I have always admired the swaps she hosts and was lucky enough to get to join in. I had a fantastic partner, Theresa, DulaneyWoods Treasures. Theresa sent me the most amazing Prim Crow doll with baby and she smells yummy too.A few weeks ago I joined Amy, Bumble Bee Lane's, Farmhouse Summer Swap. I have always admired the swaps she hosts and was lucky enough to get to join in. I had a fantastic partner, Theresa, DulaneyWoods. Theresa sent me the most amazing Prim Crow doll with baby and she smells yummy too.

 

She also made me a vintage wall hanging with an old photo and vintage lace, Love It!!!

 

She made this fabric book and red and green tomatoes.  They are adorable. 

 

 

Theresa found out about my love for vintage china and she got me the cutest little set with tiny pink roses....so cool!

And she tucked in some old wooden spools and a vintage rhinestone brooch that is just beautiful!

Thanks Theresa and thanks Amy for hosting this great swap!  I will post what I sent to Theresa in a few days when I know she has received her package.  I was a little late in getting it in the mail to her.  Please come back... Becs

Kindred Souls Art Group Card Swap

I recently joined a cool group called Kindred Souls Art Group.  The leader, Gloria, is hosting a 6 for 6 card swap using a particular image.  I thought I would give it a go.  Everyone has to use the same image, but can do what they want with it.  I chose to print out the original image that was black and white, and painted them with water color Aquarelles.

 As you can see, each of my cards is different. 

 

 

I used scrap paper pages for the base. 

 

I embellished with lace, paper, millenary, and ribbon.

 

 

I love how they are all different.

 

I think this one is my favorite.  Probably because it is pink!

 

 

and I love the floral paper on this one, and HOPE is one of my favorite words.

 

 

This one is sooo French!  And I used fabric paper for the base.

 

 

I was so thrilled to be accepted into this group.  I made this for the hostess of the swap.  It's a wall hanging with the same image on it.  I really like how it turned out.

 

 

 I'll post later with pics of the ones I receive from the swap.  I am excited to see them all.  Thanks for letting me share and have a blessed day...Becs

"Fabric of Nature" swap display

As most of you know, I recently participated in an all fabric (no paper allowed) ATC swap hosted by Kim Laws at Art Joy Stuff.  See earlier post here for the artwork and the participants.  I had some amazing swap partners!!!

Kim asked us to create a display for the cards and post about it.  You can go to her blog to check out all the other displays that are just awesome! Kim will be posting each day about them for the next week.

 I wanted to do a temporary display for mine beacuse I want to eventually make a wall art piece with them, but have not had the time to do it yet.  So I came up with a burlap flag banner.  I cut out flags from burlap then tacked the ATC's on then strung them on cord. I have three of them and have them hanging in my studio for inspiration. They are all so beautiful. 

Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to check out the other blogs to see their displays.
Have a blessed day.....Becs

Fabric ATC's! who new they'd be so much fun.

Recently I participated in a fabric A T C swap with Kim Laws at Art Joy Stuff. Blog.http://www.artjoystuff.blogspot.com/  We each made 12 ATC'S out fabric that had to be nature inspired. we were not allowed to use any paper. I fell in love with making these little works of art.  The photo above is of the 12 I made and sent off.

                                               

I used burlap and canvas for the bases, then sewed lace, fabric and trims. I added a fabric printed image, millimetre, saying, ribbon and metal charms and some vintage buttons.


                                            


I chose the theme of Nature's wings and did birds, nests, bees and butterflies.  I also used some quotes that I love on some of them.

   

I received some beautiful cards back and will share them with you in a few days.  We are supposed to do some kind of creative display with them and I am still figuring that out.  Below is a group photo of the ones I received back.

@

From top left to right:  

Marsha Mees, Tattered Chick blog  http://www.tatteredchick.net/

Jewels Welsh, justtickety-boo blog justtickity-boo.blogspot.com

Maggie Raguse, the mag rag blog www.themagrag.com

From bottom left to right:  

Karla Jackson

Carolyn Huber

Liz Waring, lululizinlalaland blog lululizinlalaland.blogspot.com

From top right to lefth

Marlene, uniquely Ella blog uniquelyella.blogspot.com

Kimberly Laws, art joy stuff blog http://www.artjoystuff.blogspot.com/

From bottom right to left

Amy Bauer flickr.com/photos/7866304@N08

Terri Heinz, artful affirmations blog artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com

Thanks Kim and the ladies listed, for an awesome swap.  Come back in a few days to see how display these beauties.  Kim will be hosting a reveal as well. 

Have a blessed week, Becs 

Art Joy Stuff Swap

Kim at ArtJoyStuff is hosting an awesome ATC swap  called "The Fabric of Nature"  Kim does amazing swaps and she is a great hostess!  Please pop on over and check it out.  Just click on the photo above or on my side bar  

God Bless,  Becs

Spring Swaps ~ Refreshed and Renewed...

Easter Egg Carton Swap

A few weeks ago I participated in an Easter Egg Carton Swap that Cassie VanCuren, An Artful Adventure hosted.  We had to embellish and decorate a half dozen paper mache type egg carton and fill it with vintage goodies.  I did not know that Central California does not use these half dozen cartons.  I could not find one anywhere!!!   Then Cassie gave us a site to find them and of course they were all GONE!...This swap was turning out to be a difficult one.  Fortunately, Cassie was able to get some and mail them to me.  Thanks girl!

My partners were Heidi Meyer and Judy Stafford (sorry, but Judy does not have a blog).  I did one carton a pale green and the other a pale aqua mixed with gesso and tulle on the inside.  I added vintage Easter graphics and glittered them up. I filled the inside with ribbons, lace, vintage buttons, vintage jewlery pieces, pearls and crystals, German Glass glitter, and egg shaped soap, flowers, birds, vintage pages from Jane Austen and vintage flocked wall paper.  I also tucked a small Frozen Charlotte inside too.  I hope the girls enjoy their goodies!  Thanks Cassie for this wonderful swap!

My Market Tote From Diane Lanford

As promised, This amazing market tote is what Diane, Cottage Wishes made for me.  I just adore it.  We have very similar tastes.  She used burlap (a feed sack I think) and vintage lace and rhinestone.  This cute bag is also lined with a small vintage looking print.  It is a perfect size with two handles and easy opening.  I am gonna try it out this weekend!  Woo Hoo!!!  Thanks Diane.  ALso if you want to see more amazing totes pop on over to Tatterd Chick and read the comments for links of others that participated. 

My Snow girl from Colleen Moody's Doll Class

As many of you know, Colleen Moody is an EXCEPTIONAL Doll artist who resides in Northern California near San Francisco. At the beginning of September I had the amazing opportunity to take one of her doll sculpting classes. It was held over a weekend at her home. Her studio is to die for! I am so amazed at her talent and so overjoyed to have been able to attend. I met some wonderful women that weekend and learned how to sculpt these dolls. It was actually not as difficult as I anticipated, although I have a LOOONNGGG way to go! LOL



The class consisted of making two dolls in shadow boxes. We made the shadow boxes from old frames, then sculpted our dolls. One was a winter snow girl and the other was a Halloween Pumpkin. My Pumpkin is almost ready for reveal, not yet....But my snowgirl is making her debut!



My frame was brown stained with gold leafing, but it didn't look good with my girl, so I took some of Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint, her newest color, French Linen and painted my frame. I antiqued it with the dark stain. I liked the color, but it just didn't pop. So I took the Antique white chalk paint and dry brushed it on over the French Linen! It was exactly what it needed. I love it!

Colleen sells her wonderful creations on her blog The Doll Atelier, she posts in advance when she puts them up, so if you are interested you gotta be really quick cause they go fast!

Colleen is an anazing artist and if you ever get the chance to take one of her classes, they are totally worth it! On Sunday, she took several of us to the Alameda Antique Mart. It was Huge! It was Amazing! It was Wonderful! Thanks so much Colleen, for sharing a bit of your time with us! Becs

Karla's Cottage's Bird Song Tag Book Swap

As many of you know, Karla Nathan, over at Karla's Cottage is hosting HUGE Tag Book Swap. I was excited to join and have seen some AMAZING tags!!! Here are my tags that I sent to Karla. She is mixing them up and putting them into books for each of us and returning to us an amazing book of Birds from other participants!!!

I had so much fun making these and can't wait to see all the tags that come back to me!


I think that Karla will be up for days sorting and putting tags together...I so appreciate all that she is doing for this swap! Thanks Karla! If you want to see Karla's Amazing blog and her studio, just click on Karla's Cottage link and check it out.


And if you would like to see some amazing tags from this swap check out the Flickr group.