PURPLEMAJIC ART

Art dolls for Feb swap

2011-04-02T23:38:00.000-07:00

These are the "Red, White & Blue" ATC dolls that I made for ATC-Art dolls February swap. They're not normally colours that I play with, but these were fun! The "art" doll head is a stamp that I've had for a long time, and not used nearly enough - and the other one is from a set that I bought a while ago to make girls cards - isn't she cute????
The ART doll theme was a "Goddess" doll, using my template. I did a "Nature" doll - coz I like the fish paper (that I have very little left of), and the dragonflies were perfect for the wings.

As you can probably tell - I really enjoy making art dolls! :-)

Gothic Arches: Feb 15

2011-02-14T10:35:00.000-08:00

These are some of the Gothic Arches that I've made this week. I'm trying to do ALL the past themes from the Gothic Arch blog - as well as their fortnightly themes.

"Favourite Movie" theme - "Interview with the Vampire". I'm NOT a big fan of either Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise - but they were both wonderful in this movie! This is definitely my most fav movie of all time, and I've watched it too many times to count. LOL

"Trees" theme. Yes, I know, it's stretching it just a little, using topiary trees, but aren't they cute??? Almost makes me want to get out and garden - almost I said. :-)

"Tickets" theme. I think she's off to see a show - maybe going to the circus.

"Home Sweet Home" theme. I really enjoyed making this one. House shapes are so much fun, and you can do so much with them. And I've just realised - this is the 2nd one I've made this week with a birdhouse - do you get the feeling I like them? LOL

Inchies - Eclectic & Powerful

2011-01-31T10:24:00.000-08:00

Every Inchie Monday

While I was checking out a comm on another group, I found this blog. If you like Inchies, check it out. They're doing an Inchie Word of the Week challenge. What a great idea - this is something that I'm definitely going to do.

http://everyinchiemonday.blogspot.com/

And check out the comm too - http://aileensmusings.blogspot.com/2011/01/inchie-product-giveaway.html#comments - for a chance to win some pre-drilled wood blanks to mount your inchies on!

"Eclectic" ... great theme! I had so much fun with these - the wobbly eyes were sitting on my worktable, from a previous project - so I knew that I just HAD to use them! I'll have to keep them tho, coz I could I separate them? lol
"Powerful". I think this speaks for itself. A Tiki, the colour green, and the word New Zealand - a powerful combination to describe my country. I'm proud to be descended from NZ Maori, and I'm extremely lucky to be living in our clean green land.

Gothic Arches - Faerie theme

2011-01-18T00:42:00.000-08:00

This is the gothic arch that I made for Gothic Arches "Faerie" theme. I'm so happy with how it turned out - this is one of my favourite faerie images, I always enjoy making something with her.

The background is torn scrapbooking paper - a gray silvery colour. The scroll, hearts and word have been stamped, and Kindy Glitz added. I found the lacy flower in amongst my embellishments, and layered it with a polka dotted flower and blue ribbon - attached with staples.

Crochet flowers & beanies

2011-01-11T19:23:00.001-08:00

I have been crocheting this week. Crochet has always been a big part of my life - making blankets & clothes for my daughters, and now I'm having fun making beanies - and FLOWERS! These are quick & easy to make - and I really like them as brooches.

This is how I'm going to display them at the market - on one of my beanies! Don't they look glorious? Like a garden on top of a head ... :-)
I've still got a LOT more to make - they'll sell much better if there's heaps to choose from. So, off to crochet more flowers.
ps ... if you'd like the pattern for these flowers, leave a comment, and I'll do a tutorial.

Christmas dolls & Animorph dolls

2011-01-09T11:55:00.000-08:00

These are some of the art dolls that I've made lately. The Snow Angel ATCs were made for an ATC-Art doll swap - as was the Father Christmas. Fun! I love Christmas, and dolls - so what a perfect combination.
Father Christmas was made from THREE recycled Xmas cards! I used one for the background, and two the same for his body. There is acetate attached to the front of the card (using brads), so that he can stand up, and be removed. Scrapbooking embellishements finished it off - prezzies & stockings!
I really enjoyed making these Animorph ATC dolls. The bodies are Teesha Moore stamps, and the heads are from animal puffy stickers - yep, I cut the heads off! A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do ... lol

2011 ATC Calendar swap

2011-01-02T16:36:00.000-08:00

A couple of days ago, Donna (my co-owner) organised a 2011 ATC calendar swap for ATCs-NZ. She found the template here: SplitCoast Stampers. I immediately downloaded the template, and have made ALL my ATCs - once I started I couldn't stop. In fact, I made TWO sets - one for myself! lol

They've all got stamping on them - one of my "resolutions" for this year is to use my stamps more - and I've made a good start.

What a great idea for a swap, thank you Donna! And I can't wait to do one for 2012 ... :-)

Cards made this week

2010-12-22T00:57:00.000-08:00

"Black & White" card made for Crafty Frenz. I enjoyed making this card - the "Art" image is a stamp from Teesha Moore, the background is an architectural stamp from Rubbadubbadoo, and the scrolls are from Hero Arts. And my trusty Cuttlebug created the die-cut for the eye!
"Snowman" card for WWRS. A chipboard snowman, patterned paper, cuttlebugged snowflakes, and a lace bow ...
"Santa" card for WWRS. The Santa was cut from an old Xmas card, and his beard lightly inked with Old Paper Distress ink. The background words and scroll were done with distress ink too, as well as the edge of the card. I used Dimensional Magic on his bell and the holly berries.

New pincushions

2010-12-15T11:48:00.000-08:00

Here's the pincushions that I made this week. I think I'm addicted!! lol lol First of all I made a monster (see my previous post), then a few (well, more than a few!) cats ... then a Scotty dog ... then I HAD to make an owl - or two - or maybe even three ... :-)
Just as well they're going out for sale on Saturday, coz I think there's a few too many pincushions even for me ... lol

I've got a few more ideas swirling around in my head, so stay tuned. xx

Monster pincushion

2010-12-09T18:51:00.000-08:00

This afternoon - while I should have been making more dolls - I made this monster pincushion. Now, it's not a "monster" cause of it's size - it literally IS a monster! lol

I bought a kit to make one quite a while ago, then decided to use the pieces for patterns - and it's taken me this long to get around to it. Once I started tho, it only took about an hour to make. I cut out the top piece, put on the eyes, mouth etc, then pinned it to another piece of felt. Did running stitch around it, stuffed it with sheeps wool, then cut around it. Fun and easy - and now I have a pincushion for my worktable. Which means, the one that I started (the mini sampler) will be given to my mother for Christmas - I hope she'll like it.

Art doll tags

2010-12-05T19:36:00.000-08:00

Art Doll tags, made in Feb 2010.

The tag doll was made for an ATC-Art doll swap - and I enjoyed making it soooo much that I decided to make tag doll cards. I started with a shipping tag, and used one of my favourite stamps ("Carpe Diem") for the body - I love her serene look.

Hmmmm ... I think I feel a tag doll swap coming up for Crafty Frenz ...

Yellow Art Doll

2010-01-09T19:56:00.000-08:00

Art dolls - one of my VERY favourite things to make! Yellow, not one of my favourite colours ... so, combine them both in an ATC Art Doll group swap, and this is what you get - a bright yellow art doll, that I enjoyed making!

I had to search through all my supplies to find enough yellow stuff for her - cause she kept saying "more, more, more" ... lol ... greedy tart! Still, I think she knew best, cos she turned out fine.

A NEW YEAR!!

2010-01-09T19:33:00.000-08:00

It's been a YEAR since I last posted on my blog!! WOW ... didn't realise that it had been so long! A bad year ... full of family and personal crisis ... that I'm very keen to put behind me. 2010 is going to be a GOOD year - full of art, crafts, good friends, loving family, and good health ... you hear me 2010!!

Anyway, I have done a lot of crafting this last year - kept me sane! Many, many cards - you'll find some at my card blog HERE ... I've been neglecting THAT blog too, but that's going to change this year as well. Here's a couple of Gothic Arch ATCs that I made for my Weird n Wacky Art group swap - I LOVE Gothic Arches!!

So, onwards and upwards - more to come! Thanks everyone for your friendship and patience, I appreciate you all.

29 Days of Giveaways

2008-12-06T17:45:00.000-08:00

Chrysti of "The Altered Abby" is having a 29 Days of Giveaways on her blog - check it out ... she's an amazing artist, and a wonderful person!! Thank you so much Chrysti!!

Blog award

2008-11-21T09:27:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I received an email from Jo Anne of Paper Cat's Page telling me that she had a surprise for me and to check her blog…well, to my surprise, she had nominated me for this award! Thanks SO much for sending it my way, Jo Anne, I am so honored that you thought of me!

In accepting this award, I agree to:
1. Display the logo and link to the one who awarded it.
2. Nominate at least 7 blogs to receive the award.
3. Add links to those 7 blogs on your blog.
4. Leave the nominees a message that they had been nominated to receive the award.

So for my part of the award commitment, I name the 7 blogs below who I feel deserve the award for various reasons. I want to encourage all my readers to follow the links and discover some cool blogs to visit that you might not have discovered yet!

My 7 recipients are: stay tuned for this - I need to make a decision!
I know you will enjoy visiting these wonderful ladies and their blogs, so do it soon if not right away! In addition, I have quite a few really fun and interesting blogs on my blog links that you might want to check out as well!

Blog Action Day

2008-10-11T02:25:00.000-07:00

October 15th is Blog Action Day - click here for more info. This years theme is the subject of poverty.

Poverty is not only a pressing issue, it is a complex one. It's easy to think that there isn’t much an individual can do. Fortunately this isn’t the case at all. With activities ranging from advocacy and professional contribution to charity and financing, there is in fact many ways that we can act.

You can find a range of resources about poverty, about what the average person can do as well as dozens of post suggestions and ideas in the Blog Action Day Resources section.

Alice in Wonderland postcard

2008-09-06T12:12:00.000-07:00

Alice in Wonderland/Through the looking glass - what a fun theme! This is one of my favourite stories, and I so enjoyed making this postcard. I printed out the picture (black and white) onto card, and then coloured it with watercolour pencils - without the water. The words were made with a Dymo printer, and the edge with a gold marker.

Black and silver 3 x 3's

2008-09-06T11:52:00.000-07:00

I recently was asked to be a co-owner of a Yahoo group - Papercrafting & Trading - they mostly trade 3 x 3's. This is such a fun size to play with - they have the same amount of space as an ATC, but are square instead of rectangular. I sent these to Maggie for her Sharpie Scouts swap - they're done on black and white cardstock, using a silver gel pen, and a black sharpie.

WORDS ATC dolls

2008-04-08T11:58:00.000-07:00

These were made for Diana for Februarys ATC Art doll swap.

ATC dolls are ALWAYS fun to make, and I was very impressed with all the Word dolls that the participants made - I think everyone enjoyed this theme!

The doll on the right is made from a stamp that Wendy bought back for me from Australia, and so is the face stamp on the doll on the left - thank you Wendy!!

Strange Holidays

2008-04-08T11:48:00.000-07:00

Strange Holidays indeed!!

These were made for Maggie - for a Weird n Wacky ATC group swap. The theme was "Strange Holidays", and as you can see, I went for an outer space/alien look for mine. I loved making these - W&W swaps are always fun!!

Pink 3x3's

2008-04-08T11:38:00.000-07:00

These two "Pink" 3x3's were made for Jo Anne - she has started a Pink Collaborative book, and I sent her these as a contributor. 3x3's are so much fun, and I really enjoyed working in pink - not a colour I normally use very much of - except for feminine cards.

Pretty as a picture

2008-03-14T02:31:00.000-07:00

This is a skinny book page I made for Rebecca for NZ Stampers SB swap - I have had so much fun with this swap, and have tried quite a few new ideas and techniques.

For this page I used my new Flower stamp, and my favourite Flourish stamps - these are so useful, and I'm very glad that I bought them at Paperific. I would love some more, I've seen some gorgeous ones in online stamp stores that I feel I MUST have !! lol

Our SB swap is now finished, but I think that Chris is going to host another one - I'm sure that I will be involved!

(Did you notice that I did a vintage theme again? It's getting easier every time I do another one!)

Precious Paper card

2008-03-14T02:15:00.000-07:00

This card was made for a "Precious Paper" swap - we had to use some of our paper stash - something that we have squirreled away, and not wanted to use because it's too "precious". I was given this paper quite a while ago, and really didn't want to use it up - I'm not sure if I can get any more - but how can I justify buying MORE paper if I don't use what I already have!!

Red and Gold fabric ATCs

2008-02-16T01:20:00.000-08:00

I made these for a combined swap with NZ Fabs and ATC-WDU - the theme was "Red and Gold" - what a fun colour combo!! I bought the Christmas fabric from Brenda's Craft Cupboard coz I couldn't resist it - and I have heaps left for making this years fabric ATCs - yayy!! Which I will get onto early, so I can send out some RAKs this Christmas. The ATCs that I received in this swap were amazing - if you want to have a look at everybody's cards check out my Photobucket pics.

Music, Number 9, and 1920's

2008-02-16T01:07:00.001-08:00

These are three ATCs that I made for a Cards R Us swap - the themes were "Music", "the Number 9" and "1920's" - and all 3 were sent to Carol J.

The "Music" one was made with sheet music, and the violin is from a serviette. The "Number 9" is the rhinestones around her neck, and the "1920's" one is a copy of a 1920 Life magazine cover, with a bit of glitter and a few rhinestones.

I enjoy these swaps - the atcs that I receive are always great - and I'm looking forward to next months themes.

One World One Heart Winner

2008-02-15T02:08:00.000-08:00

ANNOUNCING THE WINNER OF MY OWOH GIVEAWAY!!
I used www.random.org and the winner is ...

REEVA!! CONGRATULATIONS REEVA!

I have contacted Reeva by email requesting her snail mail address. Thanks so much to everyone who came and visited my blog and entered my giveaway.

And a huge thanks to Lisa for taking the time to organize this and helping to bring us bloggers closer together!!

AND ... don't forget to come by next year for my 2009 OWOH giveaway!! See you there!

One World One Heart

2008-02-02T18:09:00.001-08:00

I have this Art Doll to give away in the One World One Heart giveaway event.

If you are new to this, this is what you do. Just make a comment on this post (don't forget to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win) and I will put your name in a drawing, that will take place on the 14th of February. I'll post the winner and will send you your prize.

Lisa's blog http://oneworldevent.blogspot.com/ is where all the bloggers that are participating are listed. Go take a look, join in the fun if you have a blog, and visit with other bloggers for a chance to win.

I hope to find time to make a few more Art Dolls ...so there could be more than one prize given away! SO don't forget to leave a comment on this post to be in the running for this doll! Anyone can win...you do not need to be a participant in ONE World-ONE Heart to do so...so come on...leave me a comment! Then check back on the 14th of February to see if you are the winner! Good luck everyone!

Healing Doll

2008-01-26T01:46:00.000-08:00

This doll was made for an ATC Art Doll challenge - "Goddess/Muse" was the theme. I drew the template, and offered it to the group to use - quite a few of them did, and others came up with their own pattern.

I made this as a "Healing doll" - her pink ribbon is for breast cancer awareness, and the bear is for victim support. The words on her tail are Love, Peace & Hope - three things that we must all have in our lives.

When she was finished I realised that I couldn't give her away, so I made a different doll for the challenge winner - and now this one is on my desk in my studio, watching over me.

If anyone would like the template for this doll it can be found in my Photobucket pictures, along with a few others - feel free to use them.

Moonbeam/Queen of Art

2008-01-21T01:46:00.000-08:00

"Moonbeam & Angel Dreams" - another 3 x 3 - I started with scrapbooking paper, and a vintage image - then used Sharpie to draw over the images.

And this is my favourite 3 x 3 that I have done ... "Queen of Art"

I'm really very happy with this one - I started with a digital image that I drew over with Sharpies, then I added a black letter "Q", and used silver Sharpie to draw all the abstract designs. Sharpies - what would I do without them!! lol

Too cute for words

2008-01-21T01:37:00.000-08:00

3 x 3's - what a nice size!! I joined Maggies new group - Papercrafting & Trading - and fell in love with 3x3's!!!

This is the first one that I did - I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it - maybe trade it - but for now it's sitting on the shelf in my office so I can enjoy it!

The stamps I used are new ones that I got from our local Warehouse - they don't often have a lot of new crafting supplies, but I always check them out when I'm in town, just in case they get in something like this. This set has some lovely swirls, a butterfly, dragonfly and very cool flowers.

Pay It Forward

2008-01-11T18:24:00.000-08:00

The Altered Diva http://alterediva.blogspot.com/ has invited everyone to take part in this Pay It Forward challenge. I too think it is a great idea and am willing to play! I will send a handmade gift/thingy/something to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this "Pay It Forward" exchange. I don't know what that gift will be, and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! And truthfully, it will probably be later than sooner! The only thing you have to do in return is "Pay It Forward" by making the same promise on your blog with a link back to me. So basically, if you comment I'll send you something crafty that I'll make! Once you sign up, copy and paste the above paragraph on your blog, and three other lucky people will be the recipients of your handmade work. You must post this on your blog to be eligible.

Vintage postcards

2008-01-06T01:38:00.000-08:00

"Vintage Postcards" ... I enjoyed making these. Those of you who know me, know that I struggle with vintage themes, but these postcards were SOOOOOO easy to make.

I think it was because I had some new flourish stamps, and couldn't wait to use them, and this theme was perfect. The recipient was happy with them too, so maybe I'll try vintage more often ...

Aren't the little girls cute?

Nightmare Before Christmas

2008-01-06T01:27:00.000-08:00

"Nightmare Before Christmas"

... what a fun ATC theme!! These were made for a Weird N Wacky swap, and were sent to Ria. I made an extra set (just because!!), and gave them to Dallas for Christmas ...

But now I don't have any for myself - I might have to make some more!! lol

W&W is definitely one of my favourite groups - I get to play around with themes like this - the next one is "Strange Holidays" ...

What Colour should I be?

2007-11-24T10:18:00.001-08:00

You Need Some Purple in Your Life

Purple will make you feel ambitious, independent, and creative.

And with a little purple, you will project an aura of individuality.

If you want more extravagance, you've got to get a little purple in your life!

For extra punch: Combine purple with green or orange

The downside of purple: It can evoke sad feelings

The consequences of more purple in your life:

You will feel an increase in your artistic abilities

You will find balance in the most chaotic parts of your life

You will feel calm and will be hard to disturb

What Color Do You Need?

Wings - Altered Shipping Tags

2007-11-19T01:21:00.000-08:00

NZ Mail Art - Mini Books from Altered Shippping Tags ...

The theme was "Wings" - we all made between 4-8 altered shipping tags (11 x 5.5 cm) - and we can do what we like with them once we've received our swap tags back. They can be put together as a mini book, or used in an altered book etc etc etc ...

Lots of fun, and I'm looking forward to doing it again!!

Tribal Angel

2007-11-19T01:15:00.000-08:00

This is "Tribal Angel" ...

He was made for ATC Art Dolls October challenge "WINGS", and was sent to the winner of the challenge.

His body is from a rag doll pattern, adapted for PAPER Art Dolls - he was a lot of fun to make - I love his face!!

Feathers

2007-11-19T01:01:00.000-08:00

A fun theme!!! "
Feathers" - made for NZ Fabs September swap.

The kiwi ATC was stamped, then stitched - I used fabric pens, and DMC stranded cotton.

The chicken is from a piece of fabric that I found at Brenda's Craft Cupboard - I fell in love with it, and had to use it for this swap! I stitched around the chicken, and added beads & french knots.

I received some gorgeous Feather fabric ATCs in this swap - a fun Pukeko, a green tribal tc, a lovely peacock feather ... everyone's take on this theme was so varied ...

Queen of New Zealand

2007-11-19T00:54:00.000-08:00

"Queen of New Zealand" was made for ATC Art Dolls "Red, White & Blue" challenge - she was sent to the challenge winner.

I really enjoy this group - we have heaps of fun, and I love to make and send challenge dolls.

I hand-drew her face, and her body & arms are from my own templates. Her legs are chenille stems, and she's holding a New Zealand flag.

Face of an Angel

2007-11-19T00:49:00.000-08:00

Made for NZ Mail Art - postcard swap - "Things with wings" theme. I do enjoy making postcards, I think I like the size (6" x 4"), and it's so nice to receive them in the mail!!

Wild Art

2007-11-19T00:38:00.000-08:00

I LOVE TO MAKE ART DOLLS!!!

This doll - "Wild Art" - was made for an Alternative Artists challenge ... we had to make something that expressed ourselves as an artist. I decided to make an art doll - as these are one of my favourite things to do - and it had to be a little bit funky, a little bit wild, and a lot of me ...

What fun!!

Body Parts swap

2007-11-18T21:50:00.000-08:00

"The Eyes Have It"

Made for Weird n Wacky "Body Parts" swap - the saying is from Brian Andreas.

"you're the strangest person I ever met, she said & I said you too & we decided we'd know each other the longest time."

Body Parts swap

2007-11-18T21:40:00.000-08:00

This ATC was made for Weird n Wacky "Body Parts swap - I really enjoyed this swap, and this "Put your best foot forward" tc was definitely a fun one to make.

Silver on black is such a cool combo!!

Blog Action Day Video

2007-10-09T02:49:00.000-07:00

Mr 4 Square

2007-10-06T03:13:00.000-07:00

This is Mr 4 Square - made for ATC Art Dolls ...

The theme was "Using Junk Mail" - I struggled with this - until I found a 4 square brochure - and there he was - "Mr 4 Square" !!!

The background is collaged with food pics from the brochure, and Mr 4 himself has been cut out, and his head attached with a brad.

I loved making him - and I think he's soooooo cute!!! lol

Women of Influence

2007-09-26T12:14:00.000-07:00

**Princess Diana**

The first name I thought of when I received this Altered Book with the theme "Women of Influence".

I admired Diana, and felt much sorrow and loss when she died. I'm very glad that I got this chance to show my admiration for her, and hope that the recipient enjoys the page.

Seahorse Fabric ATC

2007-09-26T12:08:00.000-07:00

Made for NZ Fab ATCs - this is slightly larger than usual, as I added the beading around the edges. I found the instructions in Stitching mag, and just HAD to do it!!

The seahorse is stamped on acetate, stitched to the fabric (by hand - like ALL of my fab ATCs!!), and sand added. This was received by Carol D in our "Water" swap, and I really enjoyed making it.

Animorphs

2007-09-26T11:55:00.000-07:00

These three ATCs were made for Weird n Wacky "Animorphs" swap

- I really had to think "outside the square" for these
- but heaps of fun tho!!

AND now on to the next one - "BODY PARTS"...

Winter ATCs

2007-07-28T13:19:00.000-07:00

~**Winter ATCs**~

These were made for ATCs-NZ July "Winter Swap",

I had a lot of fun with this swap as I love snowmen. The background of these ATCs are scrapbooking papers (surprise! lol), and the snowmen are die-cuts. I added glitter, snowflakes etc.

And yes, that is a penguin in amongst them, isn't he cute?

Blue & Orange ATD

2007-07-28T12:44:00.000-07:00

**FUNKY CHICK ATD**

This doll was made for Artist Trading Dolls groups June swap - the theme was "Complimentary colours" - I picked Blue & Orange - not normally colours that I would work with, but I had fun with it.

Actually, I don't like Orange, but I have to admit that she looks good in it !!

Bookmarks

2007-07-28T12:30:00.000-07:00

~~BOOKMARKS~~

- made for Mail-Art 4 Kids -
sent to Tui.

This was a fun swap - I really enjoy making bookmarks, and receiving them !!! One can never have too many bookmarks. I got back two gorgeous ones from Pearl.

More INCHIES

2007-07-28T12:10:00.000-07:00

"INCHIES" - for NZ Mail Art July swap.

I love to make these - they are such a challenge - to fit plenty of detail on a 1" canvas - I'm looking forward to our next "Inchie" swap !!

Quite a few of my stamps are suitable for "INCHIES" - I had a play with various ones, and discovered that even the large ones reveal amazing pics when an inch square is punched out of it - my square punch is going to get quite a work-out over the next few months ... LOL

My Fabric ATCs for Trade - Slideshow

2007-06-05T12:07:00.000-07:00

Fabric ATCs for trade

Slideshow Babs

2007-06-04T12:35:00.000-07:00

This is "Slideshow Babs" ...

so named because her body is made from a slide mount (DH helped with the name!). She was fun to make ... I hand-drew her face, arms & legs, and used a tiny pompom on the top of her hat.

She will be sent out as a PIF (Pay if Forward) for ATC Art Dolls - along with the other two that are in mid-make !!! LOL

A Celebration of Women fabric ATC

2007-05-22T23:07:00.000-07:00

"A Celebration of Women"

Made for NZ Fab ATCs.

Reddish-brown background, stamped Mona Lisa image on calico, hand-stitched beads, and a gold scissor charm.

These three fabric ATCs were made for our May swap. I enjoyed making them, even tho I have to stitch everything by hand !!! Maybe I'll get my sewing machine fixed soon, would be nice to be able to finish the edges a bit faster ! LOL

A Celebration of Women fabric ATC

2007-05-22T23:03:00.000-07:00

"A Celebration of Women"

Made for NZ Fab ATCs.

Reddish-brown fabric background, stamped shoe on calico, beaded lace on the top, with red buttons. Completely hand-stitched.

A Celebration of Women fabric ATC

2007-05-22T22:55:00.000-07:00

"A Celebration of Women"

made for NZ Fab ATCs.

Green fabric background, stamped image on calico, and textured sheer flower fabric on top - with beads in the centre of the flowers.

"Mull Dooney" Art Doll

2007-05-22T22:41:00.000-07:00

This is "Mull Dooney". He was made for a private trade with Kathy on ATC Art Dolls. The template is from Artist Trading Dolls - and it's such a fun one to use. I've made quite a few dolls with this template, but he's my favourite !!! If you're a NZ'er you may get the reference to Muldoon !! LOL

I made another one very similar to him for Marla - slightly different colours, but with the same face and embellishments - he's called "Mull Dooney-ish".

Celebration of Women

2007-05-22T22:33:00.000-07:00

These were made for ATCs-NZ May swap - "A Celebration of Women". I didn't just make these ones, I made about 20 (!!!) cos they were fun to make, and I decided to keep going with the theme so I would have them for private trades.

Music, Feathers & Autumn ATCs

2007-05-05T18:58:00.000-07:00

I made these for ATCs-NZ April swap. The themes were "Music", "Feathers", & "Autumn". The feather stamp is from Rubbadubbadoo - I fell in love with it, had to have it, and hardly ever use it !!! LOL The pen nib stamp is from Glamour Girl Stamps - this is a gorgeous stamp, and is particularly nice gold embossed, which is what I did here.

Green Angel

2007-04-29T16:05:00.000-07:00

"Green Angel" made for Mariah of Fantastic Flat Dolls - Maggies group. I enjoyed making this doll - her colours were lovely to work with (Lime greens & Purple), and all the patterns, papers and colours just seemed to fit together as I was making her.

Life is short ...

2007-04-21T18:50:00.000-07:00

Altered CD's made for Alternative Artists - this is one of my favourite quotes, and it seemed to go extremely well with the map background, and the pictures.

"Love" & "Hope"

2007-03-29T23:06:00.000-07:00

These two were also stitched - the green "Madonna" one has gold beads stitched across the lower right side - this was fun to do.

The pink/yellow "Hope" one was stitched around the background paper, and also around the image. I added a rhinestone to her necklace, as I thought she needed one. I particularly like this stamped image, and enjoy using it.

Hand-stitched ATCs

2007-03-29T22:53:00.000-07:00

These two ATC's have been beaded and hand-stitched - I enjoy working with thread & beads - I have such a large collection of beads (and threads) that I really have to remember to use them - otherwise my kids are gonna be left them in my will. That's if they want them !!! LOL

Hand-stitching is sooooooo theraputic - very soothing to the soul. Once I've poked the holes in the card, and picked a colour thread I just lose myself in the repetitive rythym, and find myself solving all the problems of the world.

I really must stitch more often !

Oriental ATCs

2007-03-29T22:44:00.000-07:00

This week I've been making ATC's - I only had a few for trading, so I've concentrated on them - almost to the exclusion of everything else - LOL -
since Monday.

These are two of six that I made with an Oriental theme - lots of fun to make. The Japanese woman has been stamped on a long strip of white card, then I've layered all the other papers onto the ATC, and added ribbon, brads, dragonflies etc.

"Blue" & "Wings" postcards

2007-03-25T23:41:00.000-07:00

More postcards for a Decorative Envies swap.

This one was "Blue" and "Wings" ...

~ the "Blue" one is a picture from Dover that I printed out on blue paper. I cut it out, and glued it onto writing paper glued to card ~

~ the "Wings" one was fun - I printed the background paper, and cut out the winged children, and glued them to the background ~

My finished Inchies

2007-03-25T23:32:00.000-07:00

My 48 finished "Inchies" for NZ-MailArt swap !!!

Mermaid

2007-03-19T02:11:00.000-07:00

Today I made this"Mermaid" PAPER doll for our ATC Art Dolls March swap. The template is one that Maggie shared with the group, and it's such an easy one to use. I had to modify the tail - it was originally in one piece - so that it would move. I also used a Mirkwood template for the torso, arms and face.

The paper that I used is some that was sent to me from a member of Cloth Paper Studio group - in a birthday swap. And no ... it's NOT scrapbooking paper !! LOL

I love the look on her face - she's so haughty. Just the way that I think a mermaid would have every right to be.

I will definitely use this template again - mermaids are such fun to make, and I think I would like to make one for myself !!

African Queen

2007-03-17T15:36:00.000-07:00

My "African Queen" ... I loved making this doll. She was a joy from start to finish !! I made her for my ATC Art Dolls group February swap - the theme was "Foreign Cultures". The template was one that I found in a "Handmade" magazine - these are great sources for doll templates, even tho they are patterns for cloth dolls.

Her body and limbs are black paper glued onto card, and the stripes on the legs are done with a white pencil. Her dress is lace glued onto braid, and her bra and hair are rhinestones. She has no face, as I couldn't find one that looked right, but I think that she suits not having one.

I had quite a bit of trouble with the wire around her neck and wrists, but after I stopped swearing and cursing I had to admit it was worth it ... LOL

Postcard swap

2007-03-10T18:57:00.000-08:00

These postcards were made for a Decorative Envies monthly Postcard swap. They are 6"x 4" (which fit perfectly in a photo album). The "Flower" one is made with scrapbooking paper (surprise, surprise ... LOL). The oval shape is from a set of die-cuts that I bought from the Warehouse, and the daisies have been Kindy Glitz'ed.

The "Green" one has been stamped with some of my favourite stamps - I especially love the Seahorse one - and all the stamping and edges have been done with Adidrondak inks. I do enjoy making postcards, and am planning on participating every month in our swaps.

Altered Notebook

2007-03-07T21:41:00.000-08:00

This was made for an Alternative Artists Altered notebook swap.

We had to use "found" objects to decorate a notebook for our partner, and couldn't use any bought items. I discovered that I had a serious lack of "found" stuff in my house (LOL), but I managed to find some paper that
I had done myself with blow-pens - my d-gd and I had a fun & messy day playing with these !! The jandal is a playing card, and I used garden twine to attach the beads. There's builder's tape behind the jandal, and I made the letters myself.

And now I have to start collecting MORE "found" items, so I can keep playing in our swaps !!

All the fun stuff

2007-03-07T21:22:00.000-08:00

Dark purple, light aqua and the word "work" - this was what I was given for my challenge when I signed up for ClothPaperStudio's February colour challenge.

The colours aren't difficult to use, but I had problems when I came to adding the word "work" - so I looked thru my Brian Andreas sayings and this one jumped out at me. I made it for my daughter for her birthday - she just turned 19, and she really doesn't want to grow up (I don't want her to either ... LOL).

I enjoyed making this - purple is my favourite colour, and this stamp (from Glamour Girl Stamps) is fun to use. My daughter loved it, and is going to get it framed - I can't wait to see it done, and hanging up in her room.

Button Art Dolls

2007-02-17T21:31:00.000-08:00

These are two ATC Art Dolls that I made for my ATC Art Dolls group February swap.

The one on the left is "The Button Fairy" - her body, wings and limbs are made from a doll template, and the stripes have been coloured with Sharpies. I used "feather" wool for her hair.

The one on the right is "The King of Buttons" - I used a stamp that I bought from Glamour Girl Stamps, and punched out a head from a playing card. The crown has been embossed gold, and cut out. He was fun to make - what do you think of his 'belly button' ?

My Prince

2007-02-17T21:21:00.000-08:00

I made this collage for Valentines Day for DH. Another round cane base, with painted outer rim, and map paper background. The star is a Rusty Tin shape, and I used alphabet beads threaded onto a safety pin. The wooden beads at the bottom have been threaded onto hemp fibre.

I'm really enjoying making these - they are fun, and don't take a lot of time to put together - mind you, I seem to spend MORE time searching for the right embellishments than I do actually putting them on !! LOL

And now I think I'll stop making them for a little while, and make some ATC and PAPER Art Dolls for a change. Don't want to get bored !

More round collages

2007-02-15T20:00:00.000-08:00

Two more collages that I made this week. The one on the left is for Februarys monthly NZ Mail
Art challenge - "Fairies at the bottom of my garden". Patterned paper for the background, and the wings, and hand-drawn flowers with micro bead centres. The face is a moon stamp (the same one that I used for the collage on the right), I used my 1" punch so that I would get just the face without the shadow.

The collage on the right is smaller. I used old map paper for the background - picked up from our local recycle centre shop - hand-drew the flowers, and attached a bee button on the edge. I love the pre-drilled holes - the beads 'n' threads were SOOOOOO easy to attach.

King of the World - collage

2007-02-14T01:41:00.000-08:00

This collage was done on a round wooden base. I painted the outer rim with Papier paint, covered the front with scrapbooking paper (yes, again!), and the picture is a stamp that I used at Wen dyP Crafts. The buttons are from my (very large) button stash.

The holes were already in the base - the bases were made for making cane baskets, and are perfect for mini collages. I have a lot of them, and was going to give them away - not likely now!!

This was fun!! I think I'll make some more tomorrow!

A walk in the Park

2007-02-05T15:37:00.000-08:00

A walk in the Park:

This was inspired by Claudine Hellmuth - I love her Poppets. I hand-drew the templates for the dress, the birds, and the tree. I also drew the bird in the cage, her legs and the flowers. The arms are from my doll template.

The background is scrapbooking paper - this is soooooooo useful !!! lol

I may have to keep this one - or maybe I'll give it away, and keep on making them !

Music is the language of love

2007-02-04T01:57:00.000-08:00

Art Dolls - I love 'em !!! They are one of the most enjoyable and satisfying things to create. This one was made for ATC-Art Dolls January swap - the theme was hearts. The template for this doll is in the group files, along with quite a few other interesting ones.

I used music scrapbooking paper backed with card for the body & limbs, her hair is "feather" wool, and her dress is tulle. I couldn't find a face that I wanted to use, so I just glued on the word "eyes", which I think suited her very well.

This was heaps of fun, and I'm very happy with how she turned out - can't wait to do this months doll !!! LOL

My inner child

2007-01-30T01:11:00.000-08:00

This collage was made before I made "A childs view" - it actually
inspired me to make another one, as I enjoyed making this so much.
Same as before - the face was already cut-out, so all I had to do was glue it to card, and draw & cut-out the body. I love these colours - they are so me - PINK & PURPLE & LIME GREEN. The leaves are stamped, and the flowers are punched with drawn flowers on top, and the stalks are also hand-drawn.

"My inner child" - the title says it all. I think that this is me - the me that is in my head. I don't let it out to play often enough, but I think that will change from now on. I love drawing, painting, and doodling - I especially love Sharpies - and my inner child is looking forward to playing more.

After I finished these last two collages I scanned them, and made reduced copies for small pictures and ATC's - and then I made this beaded & ribboned picture. I'm really happy with it - now I'm not sure whether to give it away, or to keep it !!!

A Child's View

2007-01-28T21:53:00.000-08:00

Now that I'm used to the size, I do enjoy creating collages - and this one was SO much fun to make. It came together very quickly - I already had the face cut out, so all I had to do was glue it to a piece of card, and draw & colour the body.

I decided to go with a black & white theme - and I called it "A Child's View". This is because my dh and I had just very recently discussed how children only see things as black & white - there are no grey areas for children. It either is - or it isn't... a child's view.

Scrapbooking papers were used for the background, and I hand-drew and cut out the flowers. I also used punched daisies for the centres of the flowers.

Inchies !!??!

2007-01-27T02:08:00.000-08:00

I had fun making these ...
my first ever Inchies !!

They are all only 1" square, and all completely different. I was doing them for a swap, but ran out of time (too much going on over Christmas).

There were meant to be 100 (!!!) of them, and I was only able to make 16 (so far). I'm planning an "Inchies" swap for NZ-Mail Art, so I may keep these ones - probably frame them - and I'll do another lot - or two - for the swap.

Finding pictures & words small enough for these is the challenge - and it's fun to find tiny charms & rhinestones to add as well.

King of the World

2007-01-25T01:37:00.000-08:00

These are two ATC's that I started at WendyP Crafts last week.We had a playday afternoon, and Wendy showed us a background technique using acetate and ink pads. LOTS OF FUN !!! I did these two colours, and some gorgeous purple/pink ones.

When I got home, I got out my new alphabet stamps, and my Dymo labeler, and made these ATC's. The word "KING" has been stamped on scrap card with Versamark Watermark ink pad, embossed with Detail Gold embossing powder, and edged with gold pen.

The crowns were punched out of gold card - I love this punch, it's one that I use a lot. Both of these ATC's are available for trade - check out my "ATC's for trade" album here - Webshots.

Letters from Home

2007-01-23T14:47:00.000-08:00

I made this collage today - actually, I started it last week, but I couldn't finish it till today cos I was waiting on some stamps for the finishing touches. The size is 8" x 10", which is quite intimidating for someone who's only done card and ATC size art.

But ... I'm very happy with it. The colours are new for me too - I don't usually work in muted vintage colours, but when inspiration hit me for this collage I knew that I couldn't do it in any other colours. I used Rangers Distress Inks for all the edges, and the stamping. The postage stamp surround, and the top postal mark are both from Montarga stamps. They are one of my favourite stamp companys, and the best thing about them is - they're based in New Zealand !!!

Fun ATC's

2007-01-23T01:19:00.000-08:00

One of the groups that I belong to (and it's also one of my favorites) is Eclectic ATC's. I love the swaps that they do, they are challenging and fun. I particularly enjoyed this one - "Weird Faces" ... the one on the top left is one that I also did for ATC's Down Under (the theme for that one was "Things my mother said").

The one on the top right is one of my New Zealand ATC Art Dolls - the face is stamped, and the body is hand-drawn & cut out. The bottom one (the Blue face) is a scanned and reduced original drawing by me.

This swap's theme is "Anything but Paper" ... this was definitely a challenge. The top left is x-stitch on fabric, with a tiki attached.

The top right is a beaded bee stitched onto sequin waste, then attached with brads onto cork ... this was fun to do.

The bottom one is an image sandwiched between two pieces of acetate - I used silver thread to tie the acetate pieces together. I'm really happy with how this one turned out, and I'm going to use this technique again.

Welcome to Purplemajic Art

2007-01-21T21:37:00.000-08:00

Hi all ... this is my very first post, on my very first blog. The reason that I started this blog is because I challenged myself to create or read/research art every day during 2007. I'm off to a good start, but since we ALL seem to start our New Years resolutions with a hiss and a bang, then fizzle out, I needed to do something to motivate me. This could be the way to do it, or it may fizzle out too!! Anyway, I have to give it a try, so bear with me, and I'll see what I can do.

I own 5 yahoo groups, and I'm active on all of them - I've posted links here for anyone that would like to have a look, and maybe join. I love ATC's, ATC & PAPER Art Dolls, and altered art - 3 of my groups are ATC groups, one is an Art Doll group, and one is a Mail Art (NZ only) group.

Here's a pic of my latest creation - an Altered CD, made for our first NZ Mail Art swap.