JULIE NUTTING MEETS ERTE - PLUS A FEW SWAPS!

I can't believe it has been a month since my last blog post.  Moving has really taken a toll on me physically, mentally, emotionally and creatively.  I am still in boxes floor to ceiling as the living space promised to be 900 - 910 square feet and turned out to be 812.5 square feet.  Nothing fits. And I made the huge mistake of allowing a man to assist in packing (the same one that insisted that the living space was 910 square feet when I said I knew my furniture coming out of an 850 square foot apartment was not going to fit in there!) - food mixed with cleaning goods, shoes in separate boxes (yes one shoe in one and it's mate in another)! So you get the picture...  I have furniture in the hallway and basement.  And it has been near impossible finding anything.  I have had to replace so much because I still can't unearth things from the mass of chaos.

I was able to locate a small sampling of my creative supplies and was able to work on some doll projects for some swaps I am in as well as for a project I have wanted to start since the summer.

First for the swaps - 

This tag is for a swap in Addicted 2 Paper Dolls with a couples Valentine theme - 

Next a tag for a Mystical/Mythical Creature swap over at Paper Doll Trading - 

This is my Fairy Queen.  The Fairy Queen was a figure from folklore who was believed to rule the fairies. Based on Shakespeare's influence in English-speaking cultures she is often named Titania or Mab.

I also have created a few dolls that I have not decided yet how to mount.  I may put them in an art journal or on an altered canvas after I do a few more.

The first is inspired by Erte's Alphabet Lady.  

my inspiration

                 

                     goache 1968                         bronze sculpture 1989

The next was inspired by Erte's Rose Dancer.

                                                                                                                                                       

                   

serigraph                                               bronze sculpture

And my library time is nearly up so for now I will say farewell!  Hopefully I will be able to create a bit more this evening and share again soon!

NAUGHTY OR NICE?

I am in another swap over at Paper Doll Trading!  This one is for an ATC card.  As we are approaching the Christmas holidays and I had the Julie Nutting Christmas set I decided that I would do a Christmas theme.  The swap also called for embossing.  Rather than using a full embossing folder I decided it would be fun to use the holly embossing folder that I have.

I started with a playing card that I wrapped with a shiny white paper with gold spots.  

I stamped my doll and colored her with markers and used glitter for her hat and shoes.  

I stamped the sentiment and colored it and mounted it on glittered paper.  

I embossed and cut the holly and berries and then added glitter to them too!

I just found out my partner over in the UK has already received my card  I am so happy she liked it!  I had fun working on this.

FROM THE PAST TO THE PRESENT

My first share today is a real blast from the past. This photo was taken the day my youngest son was born.  I created this layout for the Soul Scrapper challenge ABC6 - F is for Flair Buttons (plus a word beginning with the letter "F").

and now for a few close ups.

 Here is my flair button! I gave this to my older son the day my younger son was born.

I thought this would be a cute accent for the page as my younger son ended up really loving horses.

Here is a great quote about brothers.

and another great brother quote...and this one meets the other challenge criteria - a word beginning with 

the letter "F" - friend.

The next project I am going to share is a real "off-the-page" project.  It is for a site I just discovered called Fashionable Stamping Challenges.  It is for challenge #99 which calls for stamping a person or persons.  I am not a great stamper - I usually only stamp sentiments but I have become a huge fan of the Julie Nutting doll stamps and had just received a few of them that I hadn't used yet so I decided to 'go for it!' 

This is one of my fun thrift store finds...

It's hard to tell but the center is a mirror.  There was plenty of room around it to alter so the next thing I did was decide how to cover it.  I started by coloring the sides of the piece plus the sides inside the mirror black. Then I selecterd several different patterned papers and cut them into small rectangular shapes and overlapped them all over until the piece was totally covered. On top of this I added a coat of Mod Podge.

For the doll I selected Skyler.  I based the piece loosely on my 16 year old son Thomas who is very musical - spending most of his waking hours playing guitar and banjo.  The paper doll was stamped first on some ivory paper.  I paper pieced the clothes and used colored pencils and turpenoid to do the skin and hair.  I also coated Skyler with Mod Podge and put him on pop dots for more dimension.

The three sentiment stamps I used were 'Dream' related. I stamped them in black and then heat embossed.  

So that covers my stamping portion of the project. All that is left was to add two great chipboard pieces which were custom made for me by Cassondra Gloden of Infinity Engraving.

And finally...HERE is my finished creation!

Here is the inspiration behind that piece, (as well as the little newborn baby in the top layout)!

I am also going to share this project at 

Word Art Wednesday for challenge #187 as well as to use it as a designer sample for applying for the design team at Crafty Hazlenuts Patterned Paper Challenge.

I hope you have enjoyed viewing my latest creations!  Please stop back again soon...I'd also be thrilled if you leave a comment and maybe become a follower.  

THE RESIDENTS OF RIVERCREST FARM

Today I am going to share with you two layouts I did of the cute little residents of Rivercrest Farm where I went for my crop in September.

My first layout uses the December 1st sketch from over at Stuck?!Sketches.  They are also having a call for Guest Designers so I think I would like to toss my hat in the ring for a spot as well as entering in the challenge.

Here is the sketch.

And here is my layout:

 

 

My next layout uses Make It Monday #30 from The Memory Nest.  The sketch also calls for some stamping on the background.

 

 

 

And here is my layout:

 

 

Here is a close up of my stamping!

 





 

I hope that you have enjoyed meeting some of my fun friends from the Farm!

 

 

Enjoy your weekend!