Walk on the Wild Side...for Peggy

Peggy's gothic arch theme is "Walk on the Wild Side", isn't that wonderful? I printed out copies of some of the paper dolls I have created and used them in this collage. It's another one of those pieces that started out as one thing and ended up creating itself. I hope you like it!

Solvitur Ambulando means "Walking Solves All Things"...a good reminder, don't you think?

Christmas Memory for Gina

...and believe me it was difficult to choose just one! I have so many....Baked Eggs, Home-made Rolls, Ham Balls, Stockings on the fireplace...but I guess those are really favorite traditions. Here is the arch I made for Gina...you know "To: Gina" "From: Carol" :))

The first photo is the front...I made a little gown and coordinating robe out of paper and then made little wire hangers to hang them up.

The second photo is the back which has a pictur eof my mom in a Santa cap surrounded by Christmas trees, ornaments and a hang-tag that says "Do Not Open Until December 25th".

And finally, the third photo is of the back with the "tag" in the open position...it is a personal note to Gina telling her about my favorite Christmas Memory. Would you like to know what it says? I'll be happy to tell you...but not until December 25th. LOL

Faerie Cupcake Pincushion

This month, my Etsy Street Team is designing and creating pincushions. I will be in SAN ANTONIO (yippee!) that night so I made mine ahead and posted it to the group.

My inspiration came from Gale Blair who recently returned from England. We were talking about cupcakes, scones and cream teas...which turned to faeries and whimsies and next thing you knew, I was making a Faerie Cupcake pincushion featuring a whimsy from the fabulous PaperWhimsy shoppe.

After I snapped the photo of the pincushion, I started playing around with it digitally. I'm not very experienced in that department but it was fun. I actually made it "transparent" (don't ask how, I could never repeat the process! LOL) and put a layer underneath it that is a vintage wallpaper which is where the scrolls came from. I have plans for this image...more details to follow. Such fun!

Altered Book Pages for LInda: Where the Green Fern Grows

...which means anything to do with nature. Linda's book is a delight to behold...bold colors, huge spreads and lots of fat, chunky embellishments! Considering my love of mermaids, it's no wonder that I decided to do a "sea" theme. The text reads "In Mermaid Scrabble, the Z is only worth 4 points and there are no vowels.". Isn't that a hoot! I hope Lnda likes the spread...it's full of color (teal, purple, aqua) and texture (over-painted sand, embossing powder, stencil paste, flowers, and bubble dots).

Mermaid Paper Doll Shadow Box

PaperWhimsy had a sign-up for a Paper Doll Shadow Box Project and you know I had to sign up!! Love the paper dolls and we were given a "secret sister" to create for. I have fun all month teasing my "sister" so that she wouldn't think it was for her. I know she loves it and can't wait for her to receive it in the mail.

The doll has a PW face with french text body & arms. I hand-drew the "seaweed" around her face and added the crystal and flower embellishments. For her tail (which moves) I used distressed embossing powder.

For the background, I did some needle felting using a stencil and poked the olive & lime roving through the cut-outs to make the "seaweed" design. I added some navy and purple roving to create a bit of a swirld and after placing the doll on the background I added some sequins and beads. Do you like it? I am very pleased with her and excited to mail her to her new home. :-)

February 8x8 Tip In

This month, one of my projects at Altered Art Swap is an 8"x8" tip in using a French-inspired "Life is Beautiful" theme in sepia tones. I started out with a paper background mounted on 140# watercolor paper and then used a lovely rubber stamp and distressed ink to give it a vintage feel. Then it was "create away"!

I planned to make a bookmark to put in the library card pocket but as usual, a doll crept her way out and next thing I knew, I had made a beautiful French ballerina instead. I have to admit that I am very pleased with the results. Those Dolls just always sneak into my art, don't they? I wonder how many more are inside? :)

Art Dolls - January Swaps

Each month at the ATC-ArtDoll group we do two swaps; one is a paper art doll which can be any size from 4"-12" and the 2nd is two ATC dolls which can be a doll mounted on an ATC or a doll with an ATC as the base. I kind of "fudged" this month and my ATC dolls are really more like art dolls 'cuz there's no ATC on it anywhere ... LOL...but I am sending to the moderator this month so think she will be okay with it.

At the group, there are assigned themes and January' ATC Doll theme is "Wings" and the Art Doll theme is "Snowpeople". Here are my dolls...they are already on their way to my swap-mates! Cha-cha-cha!

Top Hat Mer-Cat for Personal 1:1 Swap

Now, isn't she just too CUTE! A few months ago, Gina Smith sent me a mercat in the mail and I just fell in love with the concept. I love to incorporate cats whenever I can and my swap-mate said she liked mermaids so I just combined the two.

The base is cardstock and then I just started arting using gel pens, markers, distressed ink, distressed embossing powder, microbeads and embellishments. If you have never made a paper doll, you really should try it. It's the most fun and I'm finding myself starting to incorporate the dolls into other pieces of art I do. Enjoy!!!

p.s. want to hear something really funny? When I got my doll from the blind swap in the mail, guess what it was...a mer-cat! Now isn't that odd? Guess great minds think alike.

New Year's Eve Art Doll - Wings

I could hardly wait to get started on this little paper art doll. My friend Patricia gave me the face for Christmas (along with 2 others) and I was so excited to use it. I applied a light amount of gel medium and brushed on Silver Pearl-X powder. After it was dry I added a touch of lavendar lumiere to her lips and eyelids. Two flower images form to create the body and they, along with the wings, are tipped in lumiere and crackle paint. I added a pressed pansy flower at the waist, drew the legs and arms, then stamped them and "powdered" them with the same silver pearl-x. When I was done, she asked me for a purple ribbon in her hair and as always with my dolls, I complied with her wishes. She is almost 6" tall and I think she's adorable! p.s. Thanks, Patricia, for the face!