THREE MUSES - STEAMPUNK

This week at the Three Muses are theme for inspiration is STEAMPUNK and that reminded me of my latest invention.  Meet my new 'maid of all work' who is a whiz with a duster, the vacuum cleaner and a pair of washing up gloves. 

Great fun, Bev.

Credit to JoesSistah, Altered Emporium and Marta Van Eck.

Thank you for looking.

TAKE A WORD - BLUE

Our word for inspiration this week at Take a Word is BLUE and that reminded me of the little girl I met the other day.  She had been flying her new red kite when the line snapped and the kite began to float away.  We brought the tallest ladder we could find but try as she might she was unable to reach her lovely new toy.   Awwwww ..... so sad, I would even go so far as to say she was blue!


Credit to JoesSistah, NumbBum and Holliewood Studio.

Thank you for looking.

THREE MUSES - THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT

Marie wants us to razzle dazzle 'em this week at the Three Muses with her theme of THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT.

So here, for your delight and delectation, is Rene Z  (couldn't spell her name without looking it up) pumping up the style for some magical, musical entertainment.

Credit to CA Joline, Finecrafted Designs and Beth Rimmer.

Thank you for looking.

TAKE A WORD - UMBRELLA

Marie has chosen UMBRELLA as our word for inspiration at Take a Word this week and that reminded me of the freak weather we had last week. 

There I was minding my own business when all of a sudden the wind began to whistle around my house and as I peered out of the window I was astonished to see a whirlwind of people go flying by.  Whatever next, I thought.  Mmmmmmmmm.

Credit to Finecrafted Designs.

Thannk you for looking.

THREE MUSES - MAIL ART

It's MAIL ART across at the Three Muses this week and as it's my turn to host I thought I would start us off with a little sample called : FAN MAIL.

Credit to Tumble Fish Studio, Graphics Fairy, Obsidian Dawn and the Public Domain.

Thank you for looking.

I'M A WINNER

Yay, I'm a winner.

Marsha (Tumble Fish Studio) had a little competition on her blog to launch her new kit across at Deviantscrap and guess what, I am the winner.

Watch this space to see what I am inspired to create.

Thank you, Marsha.

TAKE A WORD - MOONSTRUCK

This week Marie has chosen MOONSTRUCK as our word for inspiration and I knew I just had to tell you about the adventure I had on last full moon.  I heard a little knock on my front door and when I went to investigate I found this gorgeous gift waiting for me there.   Hee hee, and then I woke up.

Great word for inspiration, Marie.

Credit to Finecrafted Designs and Tumblefish Studio, whilst the little 'gift' is from the public domain.

Thank you so much for looking.

DIGITALMANIA - ANYTHING GOES

This week at Digitalmania, Marie (Ozstuff), asked us to show which artist we are personally inspired by.

Well, Surreal just happens to be my 'bag' for it's fun, absurdity and shock value, and this time I chose to be inspired by master of Surreal Magritte.

Credit to Efie for the elements, to SkelitalMess for the texture, whilst the background is one of my own photos (sailing in Turkey).

Thank you for looking.

THREE MUSES - WINDOWS

This week Bev has chosen the theme of WINDOWS for our inspiration and here's what my Muse made me create!!!!

Great theme, Bev.

Credit to TheMuse (Wikimedia), Beth Rimmer, Holliewood Studios and Cali Designs.

Thank you for looking.

TAKE A WORD - SEWING

Our word for inspiration this week at Take A Word is SEWING and that reminded me of the little shop that recently opened in the village.  They have a tailor's dummy in the window wearing the most delicious red hat.    Hee hee!

Credit to Efie and the public domain.

Thank you for looking.

ROB GONSALVES - INSPIRED

Marie asked us to be inspired by the work of Rob Gonsalves this week across at Flickr and here is my second piece in celebration of this artist.

Credit to Holliewood Studios, Finecrafted Designs, Tumblefish Studios NumbBumm and Ruby Blossom.

Thank you for looking.

INSPIRED BY ROB GONSALVES

Created for the Digitalmania challenge across at Flickr where this week we are inspired by the work of Rob Gonsalves.

Credit to Irene Alexeeva, Ruby Blossom, Efie and the Public Domain.

Thank you for looking.

THREE MUSES - VINTAGE COLLAGE

It's VINTAGE COLLAGE MEMORIES this week at the Three Muses so I thought I would share my parents' wedding picture with you.  As we have been working in the style of Michelle Caplan across at Digitalmania recently I thought it fitting to use a similar treatment to create a feeling of looking back through time to that warm day in July 1947.  I created the atmospheric feel mainly by layering and blending but also by using a soft brush to erase and blur. 

The two children on the right (outside the main photo) are in fact my parents long before they ever met.

Credit to Land Of Nod for the text overlay.

Thank you for looking.

Once Upon A TIME

Our word for inspiration this week at Take a Word is TIME and that reminded me of  the strange clock I saw recently.  There was a girl perched on its top reading her book and I wondered if it could be Once Upon A TIME.   Mmmmmmmm!

Credit to Ms Bailey for the girl, the broken clock and boat are courtesy of Efie,  whilst the remainder are in the public domain.

Thank you for looking.

INSPIRED BY MICHELLE CAPLAN

Marie (Ozstuff) asked us to be inspired by the artist Michelle Caplan this week at Digitalmania across at Flickr.

Here is how she inspired me.

Thank you for looking.

THREE MUSES - WINGS

It's my turn to host over at the Three Muses and this week, and influenced by my trip to Turkey no doubt, I have chosen WINGS as my theme.

Don't you just love those wings?

Credit to Finecrafted Designs, Holliewood Studios, Playing with Brushes and Dreams Fulfilled.

SEE YOU IN TWO WEEKS

Tomorrow is the start of a two weeks' beach holiday with my family in Turkey.   Our youngest child, Matthew, together with his wife and our grandson and his friend.  Also my brother and his granddaughter will be with us and we are hoping to have a really nice rest.

Anyway, just in case you pop by my blog whilst we are away,  here is a little game of chess (inspired by Vladimir Kush) if you want to stay a while.

Credit to Honey Designs for the bits and pieces, the backgrounds are my own and King Henry is courtesy of Dover samples.

Thank you for looking.

THREE MUSES - BOTTLES or JARS

It's BOTTLES or JARS across at the Three Muses this week and it was my turn to choose the theme.

Even so ... don't ask me what this means because I have no idea ..... my Muse made me do it!  All I know is I feel better now.

Credit to Marta Van Eck, Finecrafted Designs and Playing Withe Brushes.

Thank you for looking.

TAKE A WORD - WALL

This week our word for inspiration at Take a Word is WALL and that made me think that a little bit of new wall art wouldn't go amiss and this is what came to mind.  So the next time things get a little tough you can shop with impunity.  Hee hee.

The wall is my own, the ladies is a free to use, and the font is That's It by Obsidian Dawn.

Thanks for looking.

DIGITALMANIA - INSPIRED BY TEESHA MOORE

This week at Digitalmania across at Flickr, we are inspired by TEESHA MOORE. 

Credit to VanessianVintage and Dover, with some digital painting by me.  The font is Marker Felt.

Thank you for looking.

THREE MUSES - MOON

 

Funnily enough we are enjoying an 'Indian Summer' her in the UK at the moment, but Autumn is here nevertheless, and with it comes shorter days and longer nights.  So be careful the next time you peep through those curtains in search of a full moon you might see more than you bargained for!

Credit to Beth Rimmer, Marta Van Eck and Cali Designs.

Thank you for looking.

TAKE A WORD - MABEL, A LADY THAT LUNCHED

 

This week at TAKE A WORD Marie has chosen ALBUM as our word for inspiration and that reminded that it has been quite a while since I last visited Mabel in our family album.  

So, imagine my surprise when I found that Mabel has at last married well, and now is an Edwardian lady that lunches!

May I introduce you to Mabel as she was the last time I saw her.  Hasn't she done well?

Credit to Finecrafted Designs the the foxes and furs and to Obsidian Dawn for the fonts : Sketchy times, American typewriter and Three Dimensional rightside and  round.  And, of course, Mabel is one of the family.

Thank you for looking.

THREE MUSES - DOORWAY

It's Bev's turn to host at the Three Muses this week and she has chosen DOORWAY for our inspiration.

I was inspired to spotlight Mae West who had she seen this piece may well have said : Come up and see me sometime!  Hee heee.

Great fun, Bev.

Credit to Holliewood Designs for the door and the stairway, Fiddlette Designs for the curtains, Truly Tagging for the keyboard, the famous sofa is courtesy of ArtKnowledgeMagazine online and the painting by Dali and Mae West herself were Googled.    The wine glasses and the light bulb I have had since the mists of time (but if you know who they should be attributed to please let me know).

Thank you for looking.

NOSTALIC COLLAGE - GOTHIC ARCH

Kris, across at Nostalgic Collage, as brought back her Gothic Arch challenge and this week she is asking if we would be interested to have a regular challenge.

I used to like the Gothic Arch challenge so I thought I would make an entry for this week.

Credit to Dover free to use and NumbBumm.

Thanks for looking.

TAKE A WORD - MALE

This week our word for inspiration at Take a Word is MALE and that brings to mind a certain neighbour with a big preoccupation with the state of his health.  Only the other day as he passed by my window I saw him take in such a deep breath I swear I saw him  blow up like a hot air balloon before expelling it in a gargantuan sneeze.   Mmmmmmmmm ..... Man Flu me thinks.

Great fun, Marie.

Credit to the ladies at the Water LO Project for the background, Honey Designs for Big Ben and the trees,  Rian (Freubel) for the hot air balloons, whilst the remainder is from the public domain.

Thank you so much for looking.

DIGITALMANIA - NICK BANTOCK

This week over at Digitalmania (Flickr) we are asked to be inspired by Nick Bantock.   I like his whimsical mail art so here is one interpretation.

Credit to RubyBlossom for the background texture, Dover, Pixel Music and Maria's Freebies for the remainder.

Thank you for looking.

THREE MUSES - AUTUMN

 

This week at the Three Muses, Marie has chosen AUTUMN as our theme for inspiration and as I didn't know which one of these pieces to show I thought I would submit both.

The one above is a postcard of one of my own photos of Whitby, a sea side town in Yorkshire.  I played with layering, blending modes and filters to create an Autumn feel.

The one below is a typical Autumn scene when all the leaves 'turn' before falling in preparation for Winter.  The boy in the garden will soon be coming inside, closing those windows and reading his book by the fire.  Ahhhh .... where did Summer go!

Credit for this one goes to mi9.com for the wallpaper background, whilst the boy and the books are courtesy of Finecrafted Designs and the doors/windows Irene Alexeeva.

Thank you for looking.

TAKE A WORD - MUSIC

This week at TAKE A WORD Marie has chosen MUSIC as our word for inspiration and that reminded me of my new neighbour, (two doors down), who it seems leads a very solitary life.  Each time I see her she is alone but always surrounded by music.

Credit to Dover and Truly Tagging.

Thank you so much for looking.

DIGITALMANIA - EDUARDO RECIFE

At Digitalmania across at Flickr, this week Marie asked us to be inspired by Eduardo Recife.

Credit to Donna Miller and Dover for the elements, whilst the fonts: Trashed, Walk Around the Block and Zero & Zero IS are courtesy of Obsidian Dawn (Deviant Art).

Thank you for looking.

MONA - WHO STOLE SUMMER?

Each month Jayne (aka Peppapig) and myself have an ATC swap and our theme for August was the Mona Lisa.  Now here in the UK there has been a sneaking suspicion that someone actually stole our Summer and with this in mind Mona went on an intrepid search.  Did she find Summer ...... well, who knows, if she did she never shared it with me.

This is my ATC for Miss Peppa.

Credit to Beth Rimmer and Dover.

Thank you for looking.

THREE MUSES - WORDS

It's my turn to host at the Three Muses this week and I chose WORDS as my theme for inspiration.  That sent me on a search for an apt quote and who better to quote than Mr Einstein himself as it seemed to illustrate my artwork so well.

I wonder what WORDS you will choose.

Credit to RubyBlossom, the late SuzieQue, Finecrafted Designs and the collab by the talented ladies at DeviantScrap.

Thank you for looking.

TAKE A WORD - BUTTERFLIES

This week  our word for inspiration at Take a Word is BUTTERFLIES and that reminded me of what I found in my garden pond this morning.    When she had bathed enough she unfolded her glistening wings and took flight to I know not where.

Credit to the late Suzie Que, the Water LO Project and CraftersCorner.

Thank you for looking.

THREE MUSES - NEWSPAPER

Bev has chosen NEWSPAPER as our theme for this week and here is what I was inspired to create with some very interesting newsprint!

Great fun, Bev.

Credit to locolastock (Deviant Art) for the background, Takeabreak for the extra news items, Mrs Inman for the beautiful girl and Playing with Brushes for the tintype matting (all from Flickr).

Thank you for looking.

TAKE A WORD - TIME

Sherry has chosen TIME as our word for inspiration this week at Take A Word and that reminded me of the time (ooooops pun not intended) the sun shone so strongly in the UK that our green and pleasant land was turned to desert and time itself began to melt.   Ha ha ha ...... NOT!

Credit to PSD Graphics, Takeabreak (Flickr), Kubivet and IStock, plus one of my own textures.

Thank you so much for looking.

DIGITALMANIA - ALTER A FAMOUS PAINTING

 

This week across at Flickr on Marie's Digitalmania challenge we were asked to 'alter' a famous work of art.  

I have heard there is a theory that when Edvard Munch created his famous Scream, the scream was not in fact coming from the figure but rather the figure was sheltering himself from an external scream.  (Well, that's what my old art teacher told us anyway), and that got me thinking about who would be so naughty and uncouth as to frighten the figure so.  Mmmmmmmm.

 

As you may be aware Mona is not such a demure lady behind that enigmatic smile as might be thought.  Spending the hours until dawn partying is more her style.

However, the morning after the night before is not always kind to our Mona.  I believe she had misplaced her dentures when this little shot was taken.

Thank you for taking the time to look.  :D

LOOK WHAT I WON!

 

A couple of weeks ago Marsha at Tumblefish Studio had a giveaway on her blog ... and I WON!

 

Wooohooo  Kate Crane's Art Journaling DVD boxed set :D

 

Now I know most of you know me as a digital artist, but in fact, I have dabbled in most things over the years from oil and watercolour painting, to stained glass and glass fusing,  to ceramics painting and clay modeling .... and that is just a few.

But there are two areas I have not yet tried : working with fabrics (I have a sewing machine that gives me accusing and despairing looks as I pass) and Art Journaling ( I even have the pens, pastels, paints, journals and ephemera) .... but not the confidence!

But thanks to Marsha and the very talented and generous Kate Crane I now have no such excuse .... so watch this space my friends.

Pop over to Marsha's blog where you will see her gorgeous artwork.

THREE MUSES - WINDOW

 This week at the Three Muses  Marie has chosen WINDOWS as our theme and that reminded me of my two times table!  Here is how the animals came in two by two ........ hee hee.

Credit to Ruby Blossom, Beth Rimmer, Deviant Scrap collab, Holliewood Studios and Finecrafted Designs.

Thank you so much for taking the time to look.

TAKE A WORD - OLD FASHIONED

The theme is OLD FASHIONED this week at Take A Word and that reminded me of how my hubby managed to win my attentions whilst serenading me with his steel guitar!  Nope that's a wicked lie but I thought it would get your attention.  :D

Credit to Cali Designs.

Thank you for taking the time to look.

DIGITALMANIA - IT'S DALI

We are inspired by Salvador Dali this week at Digitalmania across at Flickr. 

Here are two I was inspired to created.

Credit to Night-Fate-Stock (Deviant Art), The Water LO Project and Honey Designs.

Thanks for looking and hope you enjoy.

THREE MUSES - HATS

Mavis realised she should have been just a little bit suspicious when husband Henry offered to buy her a hat for every occasion!

Yes, it's my turn to host at the Three Muses this week and I have chosen HATS for my theme. 

Credit to Designs by Kristi, Efie, Irene Alexeeva and Tumblefish Studio.

Thank you for looking.

TAKE A WORD - CELESTIAL

This week Deann has chosen CELESTIAL as our word for inspiration at Take A Word and that reminded me of just some of the strange things you might see if you gaze at the stars.  Last night as I gazed into a cloudy August Yorkshire sky searching for the music of the spheres and the annual meteor shower,  I saw instead a strange man on a bicycle riding along a cobbled road; a tall elegant flying machine, a rusty old Mother ship and a host of Chinese fire lanterns ..... and soap bubbles!

Credit to CraftersCorner, Cali Designs and Finecrafted Designs.

Thank you for looking.

DIGITALMANIA - MORE INSPIRATION FROM SBARGE

As you can see I am still having a great deal of fun being inspired by Suzanne Sbarge across at Marie's Digitalmania at Flickr.

If you are a digital artist and like a challenge why not head on over for a look see .... you will be welcome!

Credit to Donna Miller and the Public Domain.

Thank you for looking.