Coming Soon ....

Just a little mention that I am working on something which I hope to show you soon. It is a distressed tag book full of beautiful nature type images which I am loving at the moment. This is a picture of the cover but it is still a work in progress....

Another Altered Envelope

Here is another envelope I have altered - I have used vintage images, a lovely embossed crackle frame from a friend, piece of lace, brass embellishment, vintage button, ticket, scraps of vintage text etc and a little embroidery.

Wishing Everyone A Very Merry & Peaceful Christmas

I hope that everyone has a very Happy Christmas and gets everything they want. Good Wishes also for 2009.

Altered Envelope

I've had this envelope lying on my desk for months, thinking that I might do something with it and every time I talk on the 'phone, I move bits of paper around on the envelope while I am talking and never do much beyond that. However, I have now finished it and am quite pleased with the shabby French vintage look. These are all small scraps of paper and lace with a few buttons sewn on, a couple of eyelets punched and two flowers painted. Oh, and a little embroidery. I have already started on another one!

Paper Whimsy Pay It Forward Project

Following on from the PW "Secret Sister" Swap previously mentioned, those people interested could make something from some of the goodies they received to pay it forward to another member of the swap. Names will only be swapped immediately prior to mailing in January. This is my piece:- an altered book cover using a few of the goodies I received.

December Mind Wind Open Challenge

This is my entry for the December MWO blog challenge. We had to use the image provided (which was black and white) - I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do with this as I was expecting a Christmassy-type challenge this month, so this image threw me completely! I played around with it in Photoshop and have changed the blending mode and added different elements and filter effects.

Voting starts tomorrow, 8th December, so if you would like to vote for me, please click the link and post your vote. Thank you. http://mind-wideopen.blogspot.com/

Yay, I Am Going To Be Published!!

All my hard work has at last paid off - I found out today that my Marie Antoinette paper bag book is going to be a Spotlight feature in the new Marie magazine to be published by Stampington & Co next April. I can hardly believe it, I am so chuffed and can't wait to see how it looks in a classy magazine.

Altered Photo

This is an old photo I have been playing with in Photoshop. I have added some stitching, a tinted flower and some lace.

More Christmas Tags

I love making tags and here are two new Christmassy ones. The one on the left has a snowy feel to it and is very vintage looking. I have treated the tag with a "snow" texture paste and also used it on the slide mount. I have also used some distress inked vintage music, vintage image, lace and embellishments. It has been finished with a mixture of fibres and two lovely little brass bells.

The tag on the right is a more traditional one and has been rubber stamped and collaged with some stitching as well. It is finished off with a wooden star embellishment painted white and some red satin ribbon.

This Week I Have Been Mainly Making Digital Collages!

Here are some of the collages I have been making this week - I cannot stop as they are very addictive.

The top (red) one is 3 images collaged together: Grunge 2 from DeviantArt, Vintage Fabric from Aleeka and Graph Paper from Katie Pertiet.

The little girl is a vintage image from my collection collaged with a vintage cloth texture from "Playing With Brushes" - a Flickr friend. I then used the dry brush tool and a flourish digital brush.

The 2 middle photos are inspired by a beautiful lace photo from "Playing With Brushes" again, collaged with an old book page. In the coloured version, I have used yet another texture of torn paper from "Playing With Brushes" and this has been colour blended in Photoshop with the gradient tool.

The last image of the tulips is one from my collection collaged with 2 more of "Playing With Brushes" textures - one text and one photo texture.

This is What I Got From My Secret Sister!

Bev was the Secret Sister who sent to me. I am so thrilled with everything she sent from the USA - there were lots of gorgeous packages to undo and drool over, not to mention the gorgeous case! Thank you Bev.

Paper Whimsy Secret Sister Vintage Treasures Swap

We were each given the name of our Secret Sister and a list of their likes and dislikes and we had to send a box of vintage treasures based on that. My Secret Sister was Aunt Gigi and this is what I sent to her. She has contacted me to let me know that she loves everything I sent her, which is great. I am so pleased. It has been a really great swap.

Christmas Tags

I have been making a few Christmas tags. As I love vintage, that is what they are! They will be decorating my home this Christmas (hung from a garland, probably over the fireplace).

November Mind Wide Open Competition

The image on the top is this month's challenge with the prompt word "Beloved".

My interpretation of it is the image on the bottom.  I changed the colour of the frame, added different digital elements, overlay and tweaked the colour.

Voting begins on 8th November, so if you  would like to vote for me, you know what to do!  Thank you.    http://mind-wideopen.blogspot.com/

Nearly Time to Reveal My "Secret Sister"

As mentioned in a previous post, I am taking part in a Paper Whimsy Swap "Exceptional & Extraordinary Secret Sister Forgotten Vintage Treasures Swap Spectacular" - phew, that's quite a title!  Anyway, we each get assigned a "Secret Sister", who lists her likes and dislikes and we have to assemble a box of vintage treasures based on that list.    It has been such fun sourcing these items and putting the box together.  I have posted my box of treasures to my "Secret Sister" in the USA  and am keenly awaiting mine.  The deadline is November 15th.  As secrecy is paramount, I can't post any piccies until then, so watch this space!   As part of the contents, we each had to make up one smallish item with a Paper Whimsy image on it and I made this tag, which I think is OK to post as it won't give anything away.

In Honour of Queen Marie-Antoinette

To celebrate Marie's Birthday on November 2nd, here is my contribution to the Soiree.

I chose a beautiful bright pink Anna Griffin paper embellished with digital brushes, onto which I added two atcs of Marie-inspired hairstyles, black lace, diamantes and beautiful sequin trim.  I finished it with a black satin heart, tiny bows and black ric-rac. Oh, and not to mention the framed picture of cakes and puddings!

Altered Canvas Collage

I started this canvas about a year ago,put it away and have recently discovered it again. It is now finished and is a nostalgic collage based around two restored old photos of my maternal Great Aunts, Ena and Lallie taken in the early 1900's. I think they are lovely photos and they look very striking indeed. I have used many vintage images, decorative flowers, a beautiful diamante buckle, vintage lace and lots of other bits and bobs. I am pleased with the outcome.

I've Been Playing in Photoshop Again

This is a digital collage with various altered vintage images made in Photoshop Elements with a background texture courtesy of Playing With Brushes (a Flickr friend).

All Bundled Up ATC Swap (Yahoo Group)

These are my atcs for the "All Bundled Up" swap I previously mentioned for one of my Yahoo Groups. They had to feature vintage images of children all wrapped up in their Winter clothes.

Tutu APC

This is an old "cereal" playing card that I received in a swap from a Flickr friend, which I have altered using an image of a lady in a tutu, trimmed with dyed broderie anglaise, dyed scrim, vintage button and piece of ticket. I finished it off with blanket stitch around the edges.

October Mind Wide Open Challenge

Here is my entry for this month's Mind Wide Open Challenge with Gail's beautiful image "All Dressed Up". It is such a pretty image that I decided to alter a chunky wooden frame and dress it up with vintage lace and trim. If you like it you can vote for me after October 8th at:- http://mind-wideopen.blogspot.com/

Marie-Antoinette Ready To Leave for USA

I have now finalised my artwork for the forthcoming Stampington magazine "Marie Antoinette" and am sending my paper bag book off next week for consideration regarding publishing in this new journal.

Here is a picture of the front of the book and the identification tag I have made which has to be attached to the artwork. Fingers crossed that they like my work. I am very excited about this!

All Bundled Up Teaser

These are two of the atcs I was making for the "All Bundled Up" swap which is to feature vintage images of children all wrapped up in their Winter clothes, but I liked them so much that I have decided I will keep them myself! Will show the others when they are completed (just a few finishing touches left to do).

I'm Back!

So much to do, don't know where to start! First of all I have to send this atc to the person who won this month's "Winner Takes All" in my Yahoo VintagePhotoImages ATC Group. The lucky winner receives an atc on their chosen theme from all members who sign up that month. This card will be winging its way to Carrie in the USA. Hope you like it Carrie!

Then I have to finish off 7 atcs in a new swap for the same Yahoo Group - "All Bundled Up" - I will post the finished atcs when done.

I also have a piece of artwork to get ready for consideration by Stampington & Co for a forthcoming special issue magazine "Marie Antoinette". I am very excited by this but have to prepare carefully.

As if that isn't enough to be doing, I have gone and signed up for a fabulous Paper Whimsy Forum Swap "Exceptional & Extraordinary Secret Sister Forgotten Vintage Treasures Swap Spectacular" . I will keep you posted on all these events.

Artwork using Gail's Grungy Hearts

Here are two tags and one topper made from one of Gail's Grungy Hearts digital collage sheets (Shabby Cottage Studio) with vintage images, text, ribbon or lace trim. These are now showing on Shabby Cottage Studio home page!

I have a few more of Gail's sheets to try out - hearts, torsos and grungy stars so watch this space.

I will be taking a break for a week from tomorrow, so bye bye until next week.

Look what arrived in the post today!

I received this swap from one of my Yahoo Groups in the USA today - the theme was "Ticket Please" and obviously a ticket or rubber stamped ticket image had to be used on each atc. I think they are all wonderful and can't wait to get started on the next swap I will be joining in with - one of my favourite themes: Marie Antoinette.

Mind Wide Open September Challenge

The challenge this month was to use the left hand image creatively with the word prompt being "Boo". My entry is the picture on the right, having been digitally altered with various free Photoshop brushes picked out in colours from the original background.

Voting ends at midnight on 14th September. http://mind-wideopen.blogspot.com/

Hey, just trying to get to grips with setting up my blog.  It is a bit of  a minefield when you are not very techie minded!  If anyone has any tips, they would be gratefully received.

Watch this space....

Bunty will be hitting the web soon!  Come back in a few days!