DIGITALMANIA - BOOTLEG BANKSY

I had the honour of hosting the new challenge over at Digitalmania this week and I chose to 'Bootleg' Banksy.

If you would like to see more street art by Banksy you can find it here.

The  window and wall are my own photos whilst the rag doll is courtesy of GrannyArt.

Thanks for looking.

THREE MUSES - STEPS OR STAIRS

Bev, is our host at the Three Muses this week and she has chosen STAIRS or STEPS as our theme for inspiration.

What can I say, other than my Muse made me do this ..... so I have no idea where those stairs are coming from or going to .... but wouldn't it fun to find out?

Thanks, Bev, for a great theme.

Credit to Paree Erica (Flickr) and Holliewood Designs (DeviantScrap).

Thank you for looking.

TAKE A WORD - BEACH

This week Linda has chosen BEACH for our word for inspiration across at Take A Word, and that got me thinking about the postcard Florrie sent to Madge in 1952 when she had her week's holiday by the sea.

You should be able to read her message by enlarging the postcard but just in case here is what she wrote :

Dear Madge

Arrived safely and the room is nice.  Weather quite good as it's only rained twice.

Went on a pleasure boat yesterday but as the sea was quite rough I couldn't wait to get my feet back on dry land.

Anyway, having a lovely time and wish you were here.  Off for a fish and chip supper now but will see you on Monday.

Love Florrie

xxxxxxx

PS Don't forget to feed the cat.

Credit to Sailor and Lula, Beth Rimmer and the Public Domain.  The font is Handwriting - Dakota.

Thanks for looking.

THE THREE MUSES - QUIRKY, WHIMSICAL OR HUMOROUS

At the Three Muses this week Marie has asked us to be QUIRKY, WHIMSICAL OR HUMOROUS so here we go.

I have chosen to make an ATC  which I hope fits the criteria!!!!

Credit goes to Pixel Music (Tammara), who I hope is well as we haven't heard from her for such  a long time.    The background is one I made myself!

As you can see I am posting this early because as some of you already know I am without an internet connection ...... until 27 June. Will I cope?  Did I know I had an internet addiction?  Will my brother ban me from filching his wirelesss connection?  Will my little legs drop off from having to traipse (computer in hand) rain, hail or shine to my brother's house anyway?  Mmmmmmm!

Hopefully, I will be back Wednesday to add this to the Three Muses challenge and comment on some of your lovely work ... but in the meantime ta ta for now.

TAKE A WORD - FANTASY

Marie's word for inspiration this week is FANTASY and that reminded of the world cruise we took last year. There we were minding our own business when all of a sudden this mannequin just bobbed to the surface causing all kinds of mayhem on the ship!  Oh just a minute ..... I think that was a dream!

Credit to CryztalRain and Holliewood Studios at DeviantScrap.

A quick note to let you know that I am officially without internet until 27 June, so I'm begging, borrowing and stealing some wireless internet where ever I can BUT it will mean I am not able to comment as often as I would like.

MONA AND FRIENDS BLOG SWAP

It's Marion's (bockel24.blogspot) annual ATC blog swap and this year she has chosen MONA AND FRIENDS as her theme.

The aim is to make three ATCs with altered portraits of women by Renaissance artists and of course I couldn't resist altering Mona, who as we all know,  manages to escape from the Louvre with alarming frequency.  There have been three recent sightings of her out and about having adventures as you can see.

If you'd like to know more about this swap click here

Credit to Nancy's Studio B at DeviantScrap and to Efie at her blogspot, with a little help from me.

Thank you for looking.

THREE MUSES - POSTMARK PARIS

It's my turn to host at the Three Muses this week and I have chosen POSTMARK PARIS as my theme.

Credit to Ruby Blossom, Holliewood Designs, Efie, GrannyArt and Graphics Fairy.

Thank you for looking.

TAKE A WORD - INSECTS

This week at Take a Word we have INSECTS as our word for inspiration.  Now under normal circumstances I'm not that keen on creepy crawlies, unless they are butterflies, and even then I don't really want them landing on me.  Nope!  But when I saw our inspirational word for this week it got me thinking about all those little busy insects going about their business mostly unseen by someone as tall as me ..... well I say tall, though it depends if being a straight 5 feet can be seen as tall at all ..... except to  those little insects I am talking about.  So I got down flat in the grass to take a closer look, and what do you know,  some of those little peeps are so colourful, even beautiful .... in an insect kind of way, and do you know what else .......... I swear I saw one or two sporting steampunkerie in their livery!  Mmmmmmm .... it's another world down there.

Credit to Finecrafted Designs for the beetle and the hat, whilst the rest is courtesy of DeviantScrap.

Thank you for looking.

DIGITALMANIA - Inspired by Anahata Katkin

Bev, is hosting the Digitalmania challenge over on Flickr this week and has chosen Anahata KATKIN as our inspiration.

Here is my interpretation.

Credit to DeviantScrap.

THREE MUSES - BIRDS

Bev, is our host this week at the Three Muses and she has chosen BIRDS as her theme for our inspiration.

So, my friends, meet Clarence, the very exotic tea cup bird, pink from beak to claw. 

Great fun, Bev.

Credit to Holliewood Studios and Marta Van Eck at DeviantScrap.

Thank you for looking.

TAKE A WORD - STARS

This week we have STARS as our word for inspiration and that reminded me of the little girl who found a golden star as she played by the sea.  Delighted she picked it up, but no sooner had she taken hold of the long silken thread attached to the star,  than she found her feet had left the sand and she was floating higher and higher towards the clouds.  Her careless nanny, who had been reading a magazine when she should have been taking care of her, could only look on as the little girl floated still higher until finally she disappeared from sight.  That was the very last that was ever seen of the little girl ..... but I would like to think she had some very interesting adventures as she traveled the world!

Credit to Holliewood Studios at Deviantscrap.

Thank you for looking.

DIGITALMANIA - BELIEVE IN MAGIC

June is hosting at Marie's new Digitalmania challenge across at Flickr and she has chosen the theme of BELIEVE IN MAGIC.

In mitigation I take no responsibility for this!!  Whilst other people will no doubt have gone for conventional images of magic, my Muse would not listen ... so without further ado .....

Credit to Marta van Eck, Finecrafted Designs and Holliewood Studios (all Deviantscrap).

Thank you for looking.

THREE MUSES - THE WRITTEN WORD

Marie, is our host at the Three Muses this week and she has chosen THE WRITTEN WORD as her theme.

Either I am completely mad, or my Muse is being very naughty, because this is what she made me create.  I quite like it actually, but I do think I should probably see a counsellor.

Thank you, Marie, for such an inspirational theme.

Credit to Holliewood Designs and Deviantscrap.com.

Thank you for looking.

DIGITALMANIA - GLASS MENAGERIE

Deann has chosen GLASS MENAGERIE as the theme across at Marie's new challenge Digitalmania on Flickr and this is my interpretation.

I created the original piece last year but I thought I would  recycle it having worked some photoshop filter magic on it for the Digitalmania challenge.

Thank you for looking.

TAKE A WORD - WINGS

Our word for inspiration this week at Take A Word is WINGS and that reminded me of the time I visited our Gallery of Modern Art.  Some people love modern art whilst others just don't 'get it', but whatever your view perhaps you would agree it often plays with your perceptions.  I hope this leaves you with a little smile!  ;D

Thank you for yet another fun word, Marie.

Credit to Holliewood Studios for elements from Stark and Journaling 2.

Thank you for taking the time to look.

THREE MUSES 104 - BLUE

It's my turn to host at the Three Muses this week and I have chosen BLUE as my theme and as we are celebrating our second birthday here are some cakes and a gift!

Credit to Finecrafted Designs for the girl, Holliewood Designs for the house, Irene Alexeeva for the the cakes and wrapped gift, Effie's blogspot for the other bits and pieces whilst the background is one of my own.

Thanks for looking folks.

TAKE A WORD - ZETTI

Another week and another word, and this week we have ZETTI for our inspiration at Take A Word.  That got me thinking about a rather dapper, but somewhat fishy chap who lives in our neighbourhood and who each Sunday passes my house smoking the strangest pipe I have ever seen!  There is certainly no accounting for taste.

Great challenge, Marie.

Credit to Granny Art for the fish, the hat and the boots. The remainder is from my own collection.

Thank you for looking.

DIGITALMANIA - APPLES

It's my turn to host at the new Digitalmania group over at Flickr and I chose APPLES.  This is my sample for inspiration.

Credit to Finecrafted Designs for everything other than the apple which is courtesy of Wikimedia.

Thank you for taking the time to look.

THREE MUSES - EGGS

Bev is our host for this week and she has chosen EGGS as her theme for our inspiration ...... and my Muse was inspired because here is what she made me do.

Great theme Bev.

Credit to Finecrafted Designs for Einstein, the moon, the cow, the text and the background, whilst the the broken egg is courtesy of Dracoart Stock at Deviant Art.

Thank you for looking.

OF MANY PARTS

 

Created for Digitalmania, Marie's new challenge group at Flickr.

Credit to KPertiet for the text overlay, to Dover for the two face images and Kubivet for the background (all greatly altered).

Thank you for looking.

TAKE A WORD - ORIENTAL

Marie has chosen ORIENTAL as our inspirational word for this week and that made me think of the recent Japanese earthquake and tsunami and the quiet and dignified way in which Japan is rebuilding itself.

The red circle, outline map and Japanese script (the symbol for hope) were Googled whilst the lady is a free to use from Fundraw.com.   Font is Apple LiSung.

Thank you for looking.

THREE MUSES 100 - UNDERWEAR

Lady Maude, had heard of this new invention called 'Washing Machine' and knew immediately she MUST have one!

It's my turn to host at the Three Muses this week and this is my interpretation on UNDERWEAR.

Credit to Finecrafted Designs for the background, 'Lady Maude', the 'washing machine' and the flowers.  The underwear was free to use from the public domain.

Thank you so much for looking.

TAKE A WORD 26 - MEMORIES

Another week and another word, and this week Marie has chosen MEMORIES as our word for inspiration.

This one had me stumped for a while but then I thought of using a quote ...... and here is what happened next!

Credit to Finecrafted Designs for her Inner Voice kit.  I used several different backgrounds which I layered and blended to get this dreamlike backdrop.  Likewise the 'dreamer' was duplicated, layered and blended to create a more insubstantial being.  Font used : giddyup std.

Thank you for a good word Marie, and thank you all for looking.

THREE MUSES 99 - MAIL ART

It's Marie's turn to host at the Three Muses this week and she has chosen MAIL ART as her theme.  Here is my MAIL ART envelope interpretation of a day in the life of Marie Antoinette which will be winging its way to Miss Peppa Pig later this week together with an ATC of the same theme!

Great theme Marie.

Credit to Honey designs for the cakes and postmarks and penny black.  The 'Queen Waving' stamp is one of my own and the remainder is in the public domain.  Fonts are Apple Chancery and Giddyup std.

Thank you for looking.

TAKE A WORD 25 - TRAVEL

Our word for inspiration this week at Take a Word is TRAVEL and that got me thinking about what I spied from my bedroom window the other night when I couldn't sleep.  It was the strangest traveling machine I had ever seen and sitting atop it was a naked woman muttering : thank goodness for an extra pair of hands or two at a time like this!  Mmmmmm.

Credit to FinecraftedDesigns for the blended backgrounds, the woman, the flying machine blades and the circles, Honey Designs for the luggage, whilst the 'helping hands' are my own photos of a sculpture In Mandela Gardens in Leeds, UK.

Thank you for the inspirational word Marie and thank you all for looking.

THREE MUSES 98 - KEYS

Bev has chosen KEYS as our theme for this week at the Three Muses and that reminded me of the three ladies I often see gathered together in our local park and who spend many hours over a game not unlike chess .... quiet yet focused and I wonder what prize the ladies play for!

Great theme Bev.

Credit to Deviant Scrap for the background, Irene Alexeeva for the chess pieces and the key, whilst the immaculately dressed ladies are courtesy of Tangie Baxter.

Thank you for looking.

TAKE A WORD 24 - LACE

Marie has chosen LACE as our word for inspiration this week and that reminded me of the case of the lace gloves and the glass balloons .............. but that's another story!

Credit to Creative Crazy Scraps, Pixel Music, Irene Alexeeva and Efie.

Thank you for looking.

THREE MUSES 97 - VICTORIAN ELEGANCE

Lord and Lady Fotheringill decided it was time to leave because try as they might they could not ascertain why Victoria was not amused!

Credit to Finecrafted Designs.

Thank you for looking.

TAKE A WORD 23 -UMBRELLA

Marie, aka Ozstuff, has chosen UMBRELLA as our word for inspiration for this week at Take a Word. And that reminded me of the time our April showers turned into constant rain (days and days and days of it) until the ground was just one great big splashy puddle of water and we had to wear swimwear and travel about in upturned umbrellas.  Oh my goodness, those were the days!

Great theme Marie.

Credit to Kubivet for the 'weather' and the big splashy puddle, whilst Efie provided the umbrellas and the very daring ladies were in the Public Domain.

Thank you for looking.

THREE MUSES 96 - STEAMPUNKERIE

This week Marie has chosen the very interesting theme of STEAMPUNKERIE for our inspiration ... a theme I love to play with.

Above, is Henry in his brand new invention, the steampunk horse drawn carriage.  You might notice he doesn't need to steer the carriage as it is entirely clockwork and in consequence Henry is able to pretend to read to impress his neighbours.

Below, is Albert, who has been tinkering in a completely different way and has invented the first steam assisted clockwork musical flying machine.  Such genius!

Albert is an ATC for a swap with Miss Peppa Pig as is the decorated envelope in which the ATC was sent.

Credit goes to FinecraftedDesigns and Marta Van Eck for their current Steampunk themed kits.

Thank you Marie for a great theme.

TAKE A WORD 22 - BLOOM

This week Marie has chosen the word BLOOM for our inspiration and that reminded me of the new turquoise roses I noticed in our local park.  They are very special,  not only are they a beautiful shade of turquoise but they also grow to a height of 10 feet and the children love to climb on them and play games ........ or they did until they were confronted by the giant beetle that has made its home in one of the blooms!

Credit to Marta Van Eck for the background whilst the Roses is a sculpture in New York!

Thank you for looking.

SUNDAY POSTCARD - WHITE

The theme this week at Sunday Postcard is WHITE and I love playing with white on white so I made some time to have a little go and here's what I did.

Credit to Minette for these lovely white elements.

Thank you for looking.

THREE MUSES 95 - LAND OF ODD

Bev has chosen the LAND OF ODD as her theme for this week and what great fun I had in my very own Land of Odd where everything is perfectly normal to me!

Credit to Kubivet, Efie, Marta Van Eck and the Deviant Scraps collaboration freebie Colour Splash.

Thanks Bev for a great theme.

Thank you for looking.

TAKE A WORD 21 - ARCHITECTURE

It is week 21 at Take a Word and Marie has chosen ARCHITECTURE as our word for inspiration this week.  That got me thinking about the little wooden house at the end of my road where the meteorologist lady lives.   I often see her with her hand stuck out of the window and think what an ingenious way that is to forecast rain.

Credit goes to the designers at Deviant Scraps for their freebie - Colour Splash - available via Somerset Digital Studio magazine.

Thank you for looking.

GONE FISHING

It's my turn to host at  the Three Muses this week and I have chosen FISH as my theme.

Here is my interpretation.


Credit to Honey Designs, Efie and the very talented ladies at the Water LO Project, whilst the 'hook' was in the Public Domain.


Thanks for looking.

TAKE A WORD 20 - GREEN

Another week and another word and this week Marie has chosen GREEN for our inspiration.  That got me thinking about the new couple who have moved in next door.   A spot of stickybeaking over the hedge informs me he likes to tinker with old gadgets and valves, whilst I have to report the lady of the house smokes!

Another great word Marie.

Credit to Finecrafted Designs whilst the font is Fontdinerdotcom.

Thank you for looking.

THREE MUSES 93 - SPRING

 

Marie has chosen SPRING for this week's theme at the Three Muses.  

Now to anyone else I know that might conjure up visions of sunshine, lush green grass and Spring flowers, but not me.  Nope, all I could think of were SPRINGS!  So here is a selection of springs all mixed up with steampunkery!!!!

Sometimes I despair of my sanity.  Tee hee!

I couldn't choose between the two collages so I present both interpretations.

Credit to Cali Designs, Finecrafted Designs whilst the backgrounds in each are my own.

Great choice of theme Marie.

Thank you for looking and commenting.

TAKE A WORD 19 - BIRDLIFE

Another week and another word, and this week Marie has chosen BIRDLIFE for her 19th Take a Word challenge, and that got me thinking about the birdlife in my garden!!!

Great word for inspiration Marie.

Credit to Irene Alexeeva, Nancy at Studio B, and  Efie, with a few bits and pieces and the background being my own.

Thank you for looking.

THREE MUSES 92 - ANCESTORS

Bev has chosen Ancestors as her theme for this week at the Three Muses and that  reminded me of my three great aunts (on my Father's side) who lived in a rather large  house in the country.  They often spent their time in London society meeting eligible young bachelors at elegant balls and dinner parties.  They also hosted many country house weekends where they spent time with their guests shooting and hunting, or if the weather was inclement,  playing card games or games of hide and seek in the many rooms in the vast house.   Eliza and Ellen eventually settled down and married rich young husbands, but the third great aunt (whose name is never mentioned in polite society) married a different kind of man entirely and it is rumoured  she ran off and joined the circus!

Credit goes to Scrapidea, CAJoline and NumbBumm, whilst the aunts and the sculpture are in the public domain and the background is my own.

Thanks Bev for a great theme.

Thank you for looking.

TAKE A WORD 18 - EXOTIC

This week Marie has chosen EXOTIC as our word for inspiration and that got me thinking about my three little sisters who love nothing better than a Girlie Night In.  They love to bathe in exotically perfumed water in the moonlight, pamper their faces with exotic concoctions and paint their nails in all kinds of exotic colours before they settle down in front of the TV to sip hot chocolate and eat Turkish Delight and watch a DVD.    Ahhhhhh!

Thank you for another good word Marie.

Credit to Cali Designs.  The sisters are in the public domain.

Thank you for looking.

THREE MUSES 91 - TIME

It's my turn to host at the Three Muses this week and I chose TIME as my theme, but would you believe it, my Muse wouldn't speak to me, just went silent and left me to my own devices!  That fickle Muse.  Anyway eventually I came up with this little piece.  Phew!

Credit to Efie for the bubble but the rest of the images are in the Public Domain, other than the backgrounds which are my own work.

Thank you for looking.

TAKE A WORD - DOOR

This week Marie has chosen DOOR as her word for our inspiration and this is where my Muse took me!!!

Thank you Marie.

The Marcel and Escher images are in the Public Domain, whilst the background is one I made myself.

Thank you for looking.

SUNDAY POSTCARD ART - FACES

It's FACES at Sunday Postcard Art this week and  as I thought this famous lady has a very handsome face I thought I would share it with you.

All the images used are in the public domain.

Thank you for looking.

THREE MUSES 90 - HOT, HOT, HOT

Marie,  has chosen HOT for her theme this week at the Three Muses and asked us to interpret that into hot colours such as oranges, yellows and reds. 

So here is my piece of silliness with hot colours,  hot sunshine,  flames and steam all contributing to my interpretation of a hot and dry Oz dreamscape.

Credit goes to Kubivet for the sun, CaliDesigns for the flowers,  MartaVanEck for the steampunkery : (steam pipe, looking glass, chair, umbrella, horse and shell), NumbBumm for the red kite, and CAJoline for the sofa.  The backgrounds are made from my own photographs, including my irreverent use of the red carpeted aisle at Selby Abbey here in Yorkshire.

Thank you for looking.

ROSES ROUND THE DOOR

It's week 16 of Marie's Take a Word challenge and this week she has chosen ROMANCE as her word for our inspiration.  Now, like Marie, I'm a bit of a Bah Humbug when it comes to Valentines and Romance but then I remembered about Giovanni and Isabella, who like Romeo and Juliet were in love but due to  family feuds were not allowed to meet.  Just look at how they gaze into each other's eyes,  warms your heart doesn't it?  Anyway, unlike Romeo and Juliet, this pair of lovers were not so wishy washy and much more disobedient and instead of meeting a sad end, they met one night at midnight, escaped over the city walls, built a cottage in the forest with roses round the door and lived happily ever after.  Awwww!

Credits : well apart from a little help from Dover everything else is my own work.  Thank goodness for layers, blends and styles in Photoshop I say!

Thank you for looking.