Holiday Tree for class

This is a holiday tree I've made from some wood dowels and other
scrapbook materials for a class I'm teaching this weekend.

Ten Two Studios

Lisa Vollrath with Ten Two Studios [where you can buy great vintage pix on CD or in sheets and other goodies for altering] has a fun holiday countdown calendar that you can go every day and open a gift from Dec. 1st until Christmas Day. For each day of the countdown, you are granted a little downloadable treat. Click here to try:
http://countdown.tentwostudios.com

Enjoy!!!

Parisian Background for Tip-In

Over the past few months, I have been in the process of testing various image transfer processes. The base is newsprint pages from a Paris free paper covered in a layer of gesso diluted with glazing liquid and gold/ochre acrylic paint. Then I built up the sky with a second layer of gesso with glazing liquid and blue acrylic. The image is a photo I took outside the Louvre when I was there in April, 2000. I manipulated the colors of it in photoshop, skewing the color/saturation to make it look more green and purple than the drabby rainy day that it actually was. I printed it out from a Color Xerox to use with the Omnigel to make the transfer. I like how fast it dries, only requires 3 layers [instead of 5-6] and it seems to be much more durable than Gel Medium when soaking/rubbing the paper away. It didn't require much more gel to tack it down, either. I found out that you can't stack them on top of each other after they are dry, they stick together like saran wrap. I have to figure out how to reduce this tackyness before proceeding...I am also fiddling with some mica to add dimension to the glass pyramids...

"Forest Floor Frogs" Altered Book Tip-in

Here is another tip-in page of the Frog variety.

I started by making a beautiful marbled background using my Ranger alcohol inks applied with plastic wrap, mostly the greens and brown colors, then I went over with the bronze. WOW!!! It really looks very organic with the illusion of depth from the many layers. Then I added moss I spray painted gold and some irresistable party favor frogs - that I also brushed with a gold shimmer. I finished the edges by stitching around some green rafia.

Off to stroll the street of PARIS to finish off the next pages...Sb

"In the Garden" Altered Book Tip

I have been feverously remaking some swap items eaten by the us postal disposal service and here is the first of several tip-ins...this one is a garden theme.

I created this collage using many various magazine clippings in my stash - then I drew in some things with my favorite Caran d'Ache crayons. I finished it off with a few silk flower items to add some dimension.

It really seems as if the fairies are on the outskirts of the garden peeking in...Sb

Still awake...

I'm still playing around with my new toys...I should be doing some laundry...

Sent from my iPhone

A Nymph is awaken...

This is my very first post! Wide awake again at 4:23 am and have been since half past midnight, I am playing with my iPhone catching up on my group digest messages. It dawned on me that I signed up for this a while back so I'm giving it a shot. Everyone seems to have one - so why not me? I should be sleeping right now - I have been making fairies for days for a swap and now they have been set free to the swap hostess. Maybe when I am wide awake tomorrow lurking in the dark with my headlight - I might get divine inspiration for this...