MMM - Tis the Season

Here is a photo of our house all dolled up for Christmas. Every December 1 I get out the wreaths and put them up on the windows. In this part of the US we put white candles in the windows. I enjoy decorating the house each Christmas season.

Tis the season is the theme for Mixed Media Monday.

KIS, Gothic Arches, MMM

Today I am entering 3 challenges with these two pieces. The gold, black, and white on the left is for Keep it Simple. I used a handmade foam stamp, clear ink pad and fine gold embossing powder.

The Gothic Arch on the right is for GA and for Mixed Media Monday. The theme for GA is day and night. The theme for MMM is Art. Again I used a handmade foam stamp to represent the sun rising. The colorful background was made using natural inks I made from veggies and fruits. I thought it looked a bit like abstract art (art for MMM). The colors are actually brighter but I had to lightened the whole thing to make the text show up.

The foam I carve is about 3/8" thick. It is not the kind that our craft stores sell. I buy the door hangers and cut them into stamp shapes. The text was written with an erasable pen and embossed with gold e.p.

Hot Colors!

For Mixed Media Monday I have prepared this hot-colored ATC. The background was made by spraying my work surface with various mica mists and dropping in some bright inks. Then I laid my card stock onto the sheet, picking up these wonderful hot colors. Next I looked through my stuff and found I had this gorgeous lady from Dezinaworld on my computer. She looked like she was holding a love letter so I labeled this one SWAK (sealed with a kiss).

Mixed Media Monday - Memories

Mixed Media Monday's challenge today is Memories. I used some of the same papers from the post before this one, which I made by spraying Moon Shadow mists and homemade red mist onto paper. This time I ran it through the scripts folder of the Cuttlebug embossing machine. The wistful looking female is one I got from Dover freebies. (Looks a bit like Waterhouse, but I don't know for sure.) Anyway, I thought she looks as if she is lost in her memories.

MMM-A Few of my Favorite Things

Looks like the computer works in the mornings so I'm getting this off early. Already at 10 a.m. there are over 25 entries in this Mixed Media Monday challenge! Very popular theme this week: a few of my favorite things.

I made a 6x8" collage starting with cardstock that I painted with Making Memories amethyst specialty glaze. It has a lovely sheen. Onto this I dropped several kinds of Stampin' Up glitter. I love purple. I love shiny things.

The collage materials are things I really enjoy: my Bible study ladies (I'm 4th on the left and am the facilitator.), eating (!), puzzles (Sudoku and Crosswords), the comics, Chocolate, making ATCs for challenges (Marilyn and chocolate - an ATC ), and painting (the tulip watercolor). Additions to the collage are more faves: flourishes, stamping and embossing, Stampendous kaleidoscope embossing powder, and Rubber Stampede embossing ink pad. I love shiny and I really wish you could see all the wonderful shiny on this.

MMM - Playthings

Mixed Media Monday has as the theme this week - Playthings. My first thought was my daughter's 3 favorite dolls when she was very young. In the picture above are Tabitha, Buttercup, and Bitsy Baby. Buttercup is nearly bald because she was carried everywhere by the hair. I really could have done another card using my present playthings, my art stuff.

The bandana-style background is another scrap from the Alan Ladd piece I did a week or so ago. It was a Moon Shadow misted card stock, stamped with See-D stamps.

MMM - Something Blue

Mixed Media Monday's challenge this week is to use the color Blue in our art work.

This is not a new painting, but it is one that was recently returned to me by the daughter of an elderly friend who just passed away. I was thrilled to get one of my original watercolors back, but sad to lose the friend.

This was the face of a 5"x7" greetings card I sent Ida to let her know she was being missed in our Sunday school class. Quirky poem follows!

Sundays came and Sundays went.

In every hour that we've spent

In Sunday school and then some more,

we've wondered as we've pondered hard:

Where did that Ida go?

Maybe she's in Michigan

Or maybe Idaho

Or maybe she's not feeling well.

(I hope that that's not so.)

So whenever you feel up to it

We wish you'd make it back.

We've missed your smile, your lovely ways

To keep us all on track.


Ida was a dear friend, one of the homebound ladies that I regularly visited. This is my tribute to Ida


"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." Proverbs 31:30

MMM - Something Old

My paper collage was made for Something Old, the theme for Mixed Media Monday this week. I used background paper made from various stray mists and sprays from other projects. I also used various old pages from books and such (RAK from Rosie of Devon). The main image is of Uncle Robert and his bride Aunt Lorraine. The little one is my aunt Anne, who turned 80 this year.

This wedding must have been beautiful. The only picture shows a large wedding party, with the ladies in gorgeous gowns. Aunt Lorraine's bridal gown appears to have lots of wonderful lace on in. It was a real gown with long lace sleeves, not the ballroom type gown that passes for a wedding gown these days.

In the olden days no one expected that a marriage would end before the death of one of the couple. This one lasted till Aunt Lorraine died in her sixties.  Uncle Robert left us shortly afterwards.

Mixed Media Monday - Vintage Ads

Collages are not really my thing, but I thought I'd try one on canvas board, using vintage ads I am entering it in the Mixed Media Monday challenge this week. The four ads are thanks to Dover Publications.

Black and White with Touch of Red

Mixed Media Monday's theme this week is black and white and a touch of color.  I used this photo of my grandfather and stuck on the Dezinaworld freebie Dalmatian.  A red bow is my touch of color.

Enchanted

I liked that little girl in pink so much that I have used her again. This time she is the focus of my "enchanted" entry for Mixed Media challenge.

The girl and her background are from Dover Publications. The background is a Monet painting.
The quote is from Elizabeth Lawrence (1904-1985), author of "A Southern Garden."

Mixed Media Monday - Giggles

My lovely sister is laughing at her giggling granddaughter in the super-sized mortar board at the gd's graduation party. My background is one I made from my glimmer mists and a little gesso. I used two photos for this plus some digital brushes to finish it off. Mixed Media Monday has as its theme: giggles/laughter.

MMM - What was she thinking?

My entry for Mixed Media Monday uses one of Belinda's freebies, this darling little girl. My backgrounds are on glossy card stock and have been sprayed and dribbled with alcohol inks. The flourish is from Purple Onion Designs.

Wings - MMM

Mixed Media Monday's theme is Wings. The background is lots of sprays, mists, blobs of gesso and acrylic paints, stamps and paper collage. Then I scanned it and used various brushes and other Photoshop Elements effects. The angel is from Dover Publications.

MMM - least favorite color

I love most colors so this was hard for me. I finally chose to do a tag for Mixed Media Monday using this olive green that has a lot of red tone to it. I'm not sure that the screen can portray the color correctly. Another less favorite color would be what Beth chose, a vivid hot fuchsia.

Mixed Media Monday - Bedtime Stories

The theme for Mixed Media Monday is Bedtime Stories. I remember my mother reading her precious Billy Whiskers books to my sister and me at bedtime. She also read from The Dog of Flanders. There weren't a lot of fiction books in our house growing up but somehow we all loved to read. My grandfather, who lived with us, had only gone through the fourth grade. Even he loved to read and we often found him reading our geography and reading books.

This collage was made by taking a Dover image (the woman and girl) and a Graphics Fairy image (the 2 boys) and printing them off onto photo paper. The background is alcohol inks sprayed onto a piece of a shirt box. Some childish animal stamps,  some gold stars, and a daubing of ink around the edges finished it off.

Mixed Media Monday - Fashion

 

For Mixed Media Monday's theme of "Fashion" I am using this background of sprayed and misted cardstock and a couple of merged Audrey images from Dover Publications. She always looked so elegant and fashionable to me.

Marvelous Moustaches

Here is my entry for Mixed Media Monday, where the theme is Marvelous Moustaches. I've used my dh's gggf, or thereabouts. He does have a marvelous beard and moustache.

Mothers and Daughters

After a vacation of almost 3 weeks, I am home and finally able to do some art other than digital.

Here is one of my favorite pictures taken a number of years ago of me with my daughter. She was in D. C. for professional reasons. My DH and I decided to join up with her there for a mini-vacation. We toured the capital city on her off hours and had a marvelous time.

The theme for Mixed Media Monday is mothers and daughters.

Lace - MMM

Mixed Media Monday has as its theme this week: Lace. I immediately thought of those old-fashioned traditional wedding gowns. I found this bride with her lacy gown on the Graphics Fairy website. The gentleman is really one of my ancestors. This is a digital piece. To see the lace better, please click on the picture.