Hello Lovelies !!!

I'm coming back soon...

I've spent quite a few months with no artistic inspiration at all, my creative energies were exhausted creating this gorgeous masterpiece!! 

Introducing 

BABY JED

Since this gorgeous bundle arrived i've been inspired by everything. I'm rediscovering my need to create & design. It's just a matter of finding the time & space. 

check back in a few weeks, our brand new house is being finished & i'll be fitting out my own art space.

I'm so excited!!!

Total Blog Neglect

I made something!

Its been a while. Pregnancy seems to have suckered the creativity right outta me :( could also have something to do with the fact that all my stuff is in storage?!?

Not at all an original design, but very cute (pattern from the book of softies - designed by www.herzenart.com).

Hope you enjoy Tige xox

Before i ruin it completely...

Ive been starting and stuffing up a few projects lately. Not a very satisfying feeling. 

Before i stuff up my latest venture, ill post a pic of where im at. Going to be a struggle without correct pencils but i will go scouting tomorrow.

Its really hard to work with these chunky stix! 

In the mean time im borrowing my daughters Mont Marte pencils and cant find a sharpener to fit the pencils GRRrrrr! finer details are a bit of a problem at this time. A lot more detail to go. Thankfully its just for practice.
sketching, sketching, sketching!!!
I ♥ suzi blu

Merry Christmas Trees + Angel ATC's

Made these little guys for everyone who came to our ATC christmas dinner. Awesome night, funny ladies!!! Can't believe they marbled their coasters with cream and ink... ART IS EVERYWHERE !!! BRAVO : )

Brilliant cards swapped - looking forward to swapping again next year!! xoxo

 My ATC Christmas Angel
(typically Kokeshi to finish the year) 

I've been arting!

 This picture really inspires me! How awesome is the row of figures. I would love a replica of these. I may have to create my own sculptures instead. I'm sure I will at some point.

In the mean time i've just become a  member of  Suzi Blu's - Petite Dolls. Stay tuned amazing things to come! (lets hope so anyway).

I'm sourcing all my artful goodies from the US and can't wait to learn Suzi's techniques and get to the colouring and shading tutorials.  I have a brain-space full of ideas already brewing! Look out world!!! Abundant art spurting out in 2011!!!

Above is an article from National Geographic Magazine that i've loved for ages. Check out my version below of the "scared weird little guys", i'll be cutting them out and adding them to various backgrounds, then i'm gonna hand them around for HitchHiker atcs. Imagine a page of the little penis's staring back from my album!!!

I'd be happy to exhange "Hitchhikers" (also "Jams") outside our local swap. You can email me begmychicken@hotmail.com

I can just imagine what my cheeky friends will come up with.

My daughter (chuckling) would not look at my naked men doodles, ha ha ha.What are your thoughts?!?

Fairy Sister

I wanted to try my hand at a fairy in a cage, featured in SOMERSETSTUDIO.COM  SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 article ("captured fairies in cages" - Lenae May) they are divine!. My gorgeous man bought me a soldering iron and gave me a lesson where he made me an absolute treasure (his heart in a cage). It's so precious.

Soldering requires patience!!! Not sure how much more soldering I will do in the future, not convinced it's my thing. But i'm happy to have made my sister a unique gift for her birthday. 

collage - time on earth

There were a few days there when nothing came out, I was getting worried. I used a doll face image that Kyla gave me a while back.

I like all the subtle colours in this page. I think it's going to be a pastel week...

I LOVE EAR-KNOBS!!!

I dub them "earknobs". I totally think EARKNOBS are cool!!! It's amazing what you can do with a tallboy.  Last nights creation... (wonder when the journaling wave will hit ?)

Shopping list: crayons

tinkering at the table

The bird collage isn't going according to plan so I've shelved him for a while. Here are 2 of my latest collages all ready for my journaling.

Teesha Moore Rocks!!!

xoxo

Art is happening... tweet dreams !!!

An art work for the spare room, oh wait - we don't have one yet!!!  

(must be an early bird {lame!!!})

I opened my garage door on the way to bed last night - i didn't close it again til the wee small hours). 

Let's hope this continues evolving as easily as it started. 

So much for my initial idea!! 

I have really missed collage-ing xoxo

Playing with collage again

Seems i'd hit a brick wall on a couple of up and coming ATC themes. (namely masquerade & boardgames, both are challenging me at the moment). The brain is in overdrive, i think too many ideas for future themes. 

Last night i sat blankly immersed  in scrap paper and other paraphernalia in the hopes i might come up with something... 

Slowly i'm getting there, an idea is evolving. 

Here's last nights dabbling. I borrowed Julia Gillard's hair and some text from an article on her, hence the title 

"Girl Power".

Tiny Doll Making - Girl Guides

made by the Guides

Miss Maryanna volunteered me to take the Snr Girl Guides for "Doll Making". 

My eager students produced fantastic dollies!! 

Made up some mini doll kits & even the adults had a go.

Started making the tins firstly, the house design was from my Stampin' Up “Neighbourhood” jumbo roller wheel roller stamp.  The dolls are my original idea from my ATC Apron cards first created back in June 2010.

The girls all did brilliant work. 

Creating the entire 3 projects took about an hour and a half. 

Don't they look awesome?!?!

Well done little ladies :)

I dug out the sewing machine...

Two gorgeous little girls are turning 1...

Happy Birthday very soon to

Ella Poppy -5th August

&

Savannah-Rose Grace - 9th September

From the book called Softies - these gals were made using the pattern Polly and quite a few of Rhianna's favourite old clothes. I adapted the faces a little. Love the result. Was fun to do some sewing after such a long time. Now to get back to the ATCs.

xoxo

ATC Aprons for our live swap.

APRONS - Cool theme! 

immediately had images conjured in my head. A gazillion possiblities -but like every other theme off I went googling for more inspiration and a starting point...

That's when I landed myself apon this little gem...

a "clothespin doll apron" (i'll let you google that one).

So cute, just what every little girl should have...

The ATCs are made with paper towel inserts instead of cardstock

the dolls are the height of a 20 cent coin

I had some little dolly pegs somewhere but they weren't quite small enuff!!! In a moment of madness I decided to make my own pegs. Ended up splitting skewers into threes, shortening the middle section then glueing all three sections back together again!!

Bought some beads online thru ebay-http://stores.shop.ebay.com.au/Theme-Beads  (they arrived within 2 days of ordering and soooo cheap), my dolls came together nicely, I love em!! So many more to make... so off i go.

I have about 20 days wish me luck!!!

A Kokeshi to call my own

Decided perhaps I should create my own little Kokeshi Girl images.
This is my favourite one so far. There are a few more in the sketchy stage.
Might be worth my while to have her turned into a stamp.
Something to look into...

I am happy to share her, feel free to use her for your own personal use (not commercial).
Please link back to my blog if you do so.

"How" Friends !!!

Here are my 10 little Indians for  an ATC swap, themed-
"The Wild Wild West" 
Have had lots of fun creating these little guys.
The TeePees open up to reveal....

(That would be revealing wouldn't it !)

I used the background from my doodled coffee cup.

Far out - it's been ages !!!

I'm currently relocating my "scrap crap" back into the garage, the whole family is excited as we can almost see the top of the dining table again!
My new studio is freezing but I'm not going to complain -its big and I'm inspired every time I step inside. Who am I kidding, it's TOTALLY AWESOME.

In amongst the carnage I dug out an old clock I had intended to Up-Do. And then I got carried away and altered some other stuff too...  (the clock is my favourite)

Seems I am in love with my Asian Doll stamps all over again.

My studio is my place away from it all, I wonder how people cope with life when they have no creative outlet?!?!

ATC burst !!!

Instantaneous Inspiration...
a short break was all it took

My Gorgeous Girls - Hervey Bay

Here's Zuli, my April ATC for the live swap.

Inspired by the little African Doll  I got at Eumundi Markets on our recent short break. I've made x 20 so if you are interested in swapping ATC's  with me please email me ; begmychicken@hotmail.com                       International swaps encouraged :)

I've been keeping my eye on my feedjit,

it's awesome to see people 'landing' from all over the world

thanx for looking :)

Please leave a comment

New faces - New names

I've been making those silly sticks again. Perhaps its the spirit of the rain?

I like the direction they are taking and i've come up with a new name....

Miss Stix  -  cool eh?

This one is for my friend Chee's birthday tomorrow, the red one is a work in progress.

I'm waiting for something very exciting to help me give it wings!!!!

I love the evolution of them,

they are starting to take on identities of their own and a bit more personality.

There will be more, there are alot of friends with birthdays this month... *wink*

100 ATC theme ideas

I used to have a link to a site that listed 100 different ATC themes, I can't find it.
Been looking around for a while, have decided to write my own.

Its harder than I thought!!! so far here are 50.

Go on I DARE YOU, no I CHALLENGE you!!!!

(what's a bet I can't stop think thinking now)

1. friendship
2. owls
3. babushka dolls
4. magazine collage
5. cave men
6. my childhood
7. breaking news (today)
8. trees
9. snails
10. pruney old people
11. self portrait
12. retro butterfly
13. 100% recycled
14. jelly bean colours
15. rain
16. castles
17. soliders
18. birds
19. little people
20. lady beetles
21. origami
22. one colour
23. letterbox
24. africa
25. beautiful skeleton
26. dolls
27. serendipity
28. love
29. thru the window frame
30. zetty
31. interactive
32. sleep
33. penguins
34. feathers
35. horoscope/zodiac
36. faces
37. angels
38. coffee
39. playing card
40. circus
41. seasons
42. mouse house
43. sunday mornings
44. medieval
45. tick tock
46. fish
47. princes or princesses
48. fairytales
49. underpants
50. wishing well

Have fun, make sure you add your own in the comments.

Fortune teller - Free image

(resize to 50%)

Hello Hello,

Seems all the stuff i've been up to lately is based around magazine collage - I ♥ it!! 

Have been wanting to try my hand at doodling Teesha Moore style, with her drawing tutorial. The face i've come up with is screaming "Fortune Teller" !

They have all been touched up with my sharpie pen cos the printer didn't reproduce the black ink dark enough.

Feel free to use this page of faces for your own atc's or whatever but please send me a link if you do :)

Waiting for change

IN PROGRESS -  Lashing Out

Not sure the rest of the world will get to share this journal page when it gets finished. I have a bit of stuff to say that some might find offensive. That's the beauty of journaling, hey? Lets just say, its time to make some changes!

I did scribble all over the background but i wasnt too happy with it. It needed to be painted over and re-done. The manager of our complex asked me if i was doing paper tole?!?! hmmmm

I am very happy to report that i picked up some additional Magazines this morning from the op shop (i was only 5 minutes late for work). Best 80 cents i spent in a while.

Happened apon an Australian National Geographic chockas full of PENGUINS. Yep stay tuned the little gliders are sure to frequent many future pages! 

February ATCs

This is a first- i'm usually up 'till the early hours the night b4 our Monthly Live Swap finishing off cards.
I started "Whooos side are you on" immediately after last months swap with the best intentions but they (the ATCs) got waylayed under piles of other projects. The prototype is still missing :(
The owl stamp I got on our last trip to Sydney. I agonised over whether to buy it or not. Glad I did !
I really liked Teesha's idea of printing of images from ur collages and re-using them. Rekon i'll do that again soon.

I ♥ stick people

At it again

Spirits are Soaring.

Am wondering if anyone would buy these at a market stall?

hmmmm

Can't stop making them.

Happy Stick People

WoW, Blog-land is an abundant source of artistic inspiration. I went googling for Chinese Fortune Sticks. Saw some the other day (for a small fortune) and decided to make a set. Started searching online for some inspiration to create my own.

Only, I stumbled instead apon "Spirit Stick People". Cute enuff. I treated myself to a Sculpey face mold, dug out my flesh coloured Fimo, and well here's my result...
Can see a few of these being made for a few special occasions this year.

Bestowing the spirit of happiness apon you all
xoxo 

This is CRAZY fun !

This is the collage I was working on when the girls came over the other night. This time in an altered book. Weird that not many of us Scrapbook at these nights anymore. So cool to see the stuff they are doing now too.

Anyway, this is as finished as it can be for now cos' I need to invest in a black pen that writes on Gesso, all mine suck :( It's been a tedious exercise to get it as far as this. I'll call it finished.

Any suggestions, i've been mainly using my sharpie marker and this time even resorted to the thick artliner to fill the larger black spaces.

bored doll

There is a chart on our toilet wall, actually there are a couple of laminated charts, featuring ;

are your faeces healthy

what emotion are you today

the bristol stool chart

all make for interesting reading when visitors duck off to the loo.

Tay was busy running back n forward to read the faces on the wall.
"Which face am I mum"? she would say enacting  all the emotions.
This is the little doll I created especially for her.
"Bored" was her most frequent expression... I stitched the "bored" face on some felt and added some legs for her to chew on. The "bored" doll was born.

Poor doll got left behind on the lounge when they left but was soon posted back to its rightful owner.

I must show you... A zetti Fairy

More Found things! 

I ♥ GOOGLE

This has to be the cutest thing and i hope the artist (Margaret Field, www.artistmargaretfield.blogspot.com ) doesn't mind me showing her here. She's made from a smashed up beer can.

Brilliant!

Guess what i wanna make now???

"My Sisters Eyes"- journal page 4

It kinda evolved from a card to a page...

Here's my newest collage, thought i'd get busy and create a birthday card for my sister, Bren. She's having a big one this year!!

Her birthday isn't til October but sometimes (usually) these things take time. Much to my surprise the page is already complete!!!

So much fun cutting little treasures and oddments. Bren was up here at Christmas time and was at the table when i was creating my first lot of collages. I hope to pump out heaps more this year.

Blog Hopping

The visitors have left : (  i am finding bits and pieces of them left scattered throughout the house (makes me miss them more). The house is empty and void of creativity, Kess is sleeping and the girls are sleeping over. I am left alone in the quiet with my brain seeking some kind of artistic distraction. Not interested in continuing any of the stuff ive been working on for tonight.

Ive spent ages tonight blog hopping & googling looking for challenges and techniques to teach me more about art journalling. then i found something exciting,

http://www.posemaniacs.com/?pagename=thirtysecond

- i have been scribbling on post it notes for a good 10 minutes. I have created some sketches,  now to work on my journaling...

This is a fantastic sketch/drawing tool. i like the quick results, little spurts of challenge- just what i needed tonight...

I may not be the worlds best drawer but ill keep at it.

Something new to work on, My big chicken is gonna love this site too.

We have visitors...

Kate, Todd, James,  Ben & Tayla are visiting with us for the week. Its been about 5.5 years since we seen them last. As promised we are involving ourselves in some long overdue crafting. Check out what the kids have created. Brilliant, i have laminated them and stuck them on my fridge. They keep catching my eye. I took a photo of each kidlets face, then handed it to someone else.

A very happy new year to you :)

This travelling art attack hit on the drive to Sydney, not much to see apart from trees. Thankfully my pen was sitting in the console. I had packed my new watercolour paints just in case.

I intend to keep journalling these pages at least 1 a week, hmmmm wouldn't it be nice.

I'm lovin' these crazy images of  "oddity & mismatchment". Not sure what ill do with them yet or where they'll go. Ill keep my eyes peeled for a folder or something. I hope the new year is bringing you clouds of creativity.